Shopping Cart Bible Lesson

If you’ve followed me on Facebook for any length of time, you may have seen me posting pictures from time to time of the carnage left in the wake of the marauding band of “cart pigs” that struck the local WalMart, grocery store, etc.   The other day I was confronted with no less than a dozen shopping carts in the one row of the parking lot.  Ironically, they were all abandoned and strewn about within just a few feet of a cart corral.

When I made that post, one of my Facebook “friends,” Mr. Chris LaRue, commented (on my Facebook wall) that I was a “lame-ass white guy” (sic) for caring about this.  (For the record, Mr. LaRue shares my Caucasian heritage.)  My wife and even some of my friends asked me who this was that would say something so mean about me.  Rather than act hurt or offended, I just said he might be one of those Christ-followers who leans on his own understanding of this issue.

Love Your Neighbor

God said, way back in Leviticus 19:18, that we are to love others as we ourselves would like to be loved.  Jesus said it again in Matthew 19:19 & 22:39, Mark 12:31, and Luke 10:27.  The Apostle Paul reminded us of this command from God, in Romans 13:9 & Galatians 5:14.  Even Jesus’ (half) brother James brought it up (James 2:8).  So it sees like one of the most well established Biblical principles that there are.  Surely no one who would claim to be a Christian would question this.  We are to love others as we ourselves would like to be loved.

Blessing of Shopping Carts

So what is the practical application of that Biblical principle?  How on earth could it apply to shopping carts at the local WalMart?   It’s simple really.  Think about the owners and employees of the store.  They’re offering you the use of a shopping cart, free of charge.  And they’ve made a parking place for those carts in the front of the store.  Many of the larger stores have even provided cart corrals in the parking lot – so that you don’t have to walk all the way back into the store to return it.


It’s obvious, from the provisions that they’ve made, that the owners and employees of the store expect you to return the shopping cart.  And they would appreciate if you did.  If you were an owner of the store, you would appreciate it if your customers did.  If you were an employee of the store, you would appreciate it if the customers did.

Costs of Cart Pigs

When customers do not return shopping carts to designated space in front of the store or one of the convenient cart corrals throughout the parking lot, several things happen:

1.  They often take up parking spaces where someone might like (or even need) to park their car.

2.  If they’re not taking up parking spaces, they’re probably parked on the grass or in a planter – ruining the landscaping that the store owners paid for (so you could have an attractive store to shop at).



The carts in this picture were abandoned – and blocking – a special walkway that had been provided for the handicapped parking spaces.  How would you like to maneuver your wheel chair through this mess?      

3.  Sometimes the carts roll off and scratch or even dent other peoples’ cars.  And it’s not just the cars that can be damaged.  Shopping carts themselves can be damaged or even ruined altogether.

4.  The carts are not in the front of the store for the other shoppers, thereby forcing them to make a trip back out to the parking lot to get one.  (This has actually happened to me!)

5.  At a minimum, the store owners must pay someone to rove around the parking lot gathering up all the abandoned shopping carts and returning them to the front of the store for other shoppers to use.

Shopping carts are expensive.  Damage to shopping carts is expensive.  Scratches and dents on peoples’ cars are expensive.  Labor is expensive.  So the store owners would appreciate it if you would return the shopping carts.  

And even if the labor is paid, no retail worker could enjoy having to schlep around a parking lot in the heat, cold, rain, or snow to gather up the shopping carts from all over the parking lot.  So the employees would appreciate it if you would return them.

Biblical Command

Like I said, it seems like a simple concept.  If I were a store owner, I would like the shopping carts to be returned.  If I were a store employee, I would like the shopping carts returned.  If I were a store shopper, I would like the carts returned.  This is how I would like to be treated.  So God Himself says this is how I should treat others.  In a sense, there’s a implied Biblical command here, “Thou shalt return thy shopping cart – because it is how thou would like to be treated thyself (if thou were a store owner providing shopping carts).”

Shopping Carts Identify Your Character

Blogger Craig Dacy (http://www.craigdacy.com/) has written about this.  He says there are two different kinds of people in this world: cart returners and cart deserters.  And he explains how either one of these definitions reveals so much about our character.  Here are some excerpts from one of his blog posts that really say it better than I could myself.

Cart Returners Put Others First

There are hundreds of excuses for someone to leave their cart propped up on a grassy median or left between parking spaces.  Maybe they’re in a hurry or it’s raining. … Whatever the reason is, there is one thing all of these excuses have in common; it’s all about them.

When you take the time to return your cart …, you’re showing that you care about the employees of the grocery store.  You acknowledge that if you don’t put the cart away, someone else will have to do it for you.  Basically it shows that you’re not a selfish person.

Why not take it a step further? If you see a disabled person with a cart, offer to return it for them.  It's all about helping our neighbor. Successful people put others first.  Instead of being wrapped up in things that benefit them, they look for ways to help and serve those around them.

Cart Returners Are Disciplined

We’ve all been tempted to turn to the dark side, right?  Your child is screaming and the nearest cart receptacle is 10 parking spaces away. ...  These are the moments that define us.  Will you stand strong or break to temptation?  Look on the bright side; that screaming child ensures that everyone will look and see you doing the right thing!Walking the 10 spaces shows you’re disciplined.  You’ve committed yourself to a moral standard that you won’t break.  Discipline is an attractive quality in people.

Cart Returners Are Happier PeopleI

 know I’ve addressed it already, but I’ll say it again.  Cart returning shows you're not selfish.  Which is good because selfish people aren’t happy.

Giving to others brings happiness into our lives.  Whether it’s a big or small gesture, they can make a lasting impact.  Focusing only on ourselves gives us a negative outlook on life.  We tend to only think about the things we don’t have, the things we want, or the things others have that we wish we had.  None of these bring on a spirit of gratitude or contentment.

At the end of the day, the only person you can control is you. As infuriating as it is to see a front row parking space blocked by a deserted cart, take comfort in knowing that you still have the upper hand.

To all my cart deserters out there; it’s never too late to make a change.  Cart returners are very forgiving and will welcome you to our side with open arms!

Finally, to all my cart returners; there is one last glimmer of hope for you.  While the walk to the receptacle may be treacherous, the walk back to your car can be empowering.  You did the right thing.  Hold your head up high, pump your fist in the air, and consider that walk as your victory lap.

Christ-Followers Return Shopping Carts

You had to know where this was going.  So let me just finish this post by telling you that it is a sin to abandon your shopping cart just anywhere.  My blogging friend Craig Dacy allows that there may be exceptions for people with handicaps, etc.  However, I’m not even going to give you that.  If you had the ability to take the shopping cart and use it, you have the ability to return it.  God said we are to do unto others as we would like them to do unto us.  To do otherwise is sin.  It is that simple.

If you owned the store, worked at the store, or shopped at the store and wanted a shopping cart, you would want the carts put where they belong.  So do that yourself.  Don’t be a cart pig!  Instead, honor the Lord your God, Christ Jesus, by returning your shopping cart.  It's what Jesus Himself would do!

Angry God?

It happens almost every time there's some sort of natural disaster.  Some loud-mouthed evangelist will declare that the tsunami struck Japan, for example, because God is angry.  Or they'll say that soldiers were killed in Iraq or Afghanistan because God is mad at Americans for our posture toward homosexuals.  Maybe the recent recession was caused by God's anger over American greed.  I could go on listing examples, but you probably get the picture. 

There seems to be a temptation on the part of the few to try and link the most recent calamity of the day to an angry God.  There's an even greater temptation on the part of the masses to completely dismiss such claims.  We write them off as "loud-mouthed evangelists."  Or we just say that they're crazy.  Some of us just roll our eyes and look away in disgust.  Perhaps just a few of us wonder for a brief moment about whether or not it could be true.

I'm not going to take any specific event in human history and try to explain how God has reacted to it.  The truth is I just don't know.  But I find it useful to look at the character and nature of God, and the history of how He has related to mankind throughout the centuries.  Such a look reveals much to me about the range of possibilities.

Throughout the Old Testament, we have example after example of people (usually the Israelites) sinning against God.  More often than not, God would display unfathomable patience.  But eventually God would respond with some sort of unbelievable wrath.  When Egypt refused to release the Jews (at Moses' request), for example, God unleashed a series of calamities designed to not only punish the Egyptians for their sin, but to cause them to lose their will to hold the Jews as slaves.  One of His final acts against Egypt was to part the Red Sea so the Jews could cross, but then "unpart" it as the Egyptian army chased after them --- drowning all who were (sinfully) in pursuit of the Jews.

There are also many occasions where the Jews themselves sinned against God and He responded with all sorts of calamities.  I don't know if they used the term "natural disasters" back then, but much of what we read about in the Old Testament would certainly fit that modern day definition --- even though God's wrath is specifically attached to it.  When I read of these incidents and consider that fact, I wonder if I'm the only one who notices.

Perhaps one of the most salient aspects of the stories of sin met by God's wrath in the Old Testament are the places where God speaks in first person.  Many, many times, God goes on rather lengthy tirades, ranting and raving at the Israelites for their sinful ways.  He threatens severe punishment if they don't repent --- and then He often delivers on that promise when they don't (repent).  For example, "The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight ... nothing but provoke me with what their hands have made ... this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight."  (Jeremiah 32:30-31)

Can you just imagine if it was God speaking, and you knew it was God speaking.  Maybe He might say something similar about us.  "The people of New York and Washington have done nothing but evil in my sight ... nothing but provoke me with what their hands have made ... these cities have so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove them from my sight!"  It's hard to imagine that God would ever even feel that way, much less say something like that.  But folks, that IS the character and nature of God.  It IS who God is.

One of the stories that impresses me most is the story of Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt.  God told them not to look back as she and her family fled the city that He was destroying for its sin.  But she couldn't resist, and looked out the back window of the mini van as her husband drove away.  It seemed like such an innocent act.  I mean, what could be wrong with looking back?  Nevertheless, it was disobedience.  And God moved swiftly to punish it.  She was instantly transformed into a pillar of salt!

Folks, I'm as embarrassed as anyone by the loud-mouthed religious fanatics who don't look at all like Jesus when they're spewing their hatred and judgment instead of offering a loving response to those who are suffering from a tragedy of any sort.  But there is that matter of the character and nature of God.  He simply cannot tolerate sin.  Oh sure, He may display patience for a season.  But ultimately God must respond to sin.  And it can never be pretty when He does.

The book of Joshua gives us another illustration of God's nature and character.  "For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might destroy them utterly, and that He might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses."  (Joshua 11:20)  God had commanded Moses to destroy all of the Canaanites.  He even said when to do it, "When the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them."  (Deuteronomy 7:2)  This seems more harsh than ever when we consider the fact that God Himself hardened the hearts of the Canaanites so that they would engage in a battle where they were pre-destined to be destroyed!

But let's look at the facts.  God had given those Canaanites about 400 years to repent and turn from their sinful ways. (Genesis 15:13-16)  And each new generation of them had sinned even more than the previous ones.  They were practicing every form of sin known to mankind thus far.  They had already irrevocably hardened their hearts toward God.  So now God just hardened their hearts against Israel - whom He would use to put them out of their misery.  Moreover, some would consider it an act of mercy that God would destroy these evil people before they had a chance to defile or offend anyone else. 

Somehow we have this notion that God is merely a kind old grandfatherly type of figure.  But honestly, that kind of thinking is self serving and sinful in itself.  Most of us would much rather submit ourselves to, serve, and worship the God that we want instead of the God who actually is.  But to do so would be sin.  He's loving and merciful.  But He's just as much mighty and powerful.  And we can see clearly from this example, that He can use even our own sinfulness to serve His purposes.

The New Testament tells us that God "our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29)  Have you ever seen a raging fire consume the fuel?  Next time you're huddled around the camp fire or the fireplace, notice how intentional and unrelenting the flames are.  And relate that to God's nature.

The Bible is also clear about the fact that God has already decided what sin's repercussions must be.  The "wages of sin are death."  (Romans 6:23)  That's pretty deliberate, don't you think?  So this anger issue of God's when it comes to sin?  He can't help it.  His character and nature are so perfectly holy and righteous that He cannot tolerate the presence of sin.  The price (wages) simply must be paid.  There is no alternative.

Some people would say that that's just the God of the Old Testament, and that "God isn't like that anymore."  But those people would be wrong.  For God doesn't change.  Ever.  (Deuteronomy 33:27, Psalm 102:24-27, Malachi 3:6, James 1:17)  It has been said that God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.  And that is exactly how the Bible wants us to understand it.

If you needed any more proof that this so-called 'angry God' never changes, consider the future.  The book of Revelation has much to tell us about the 'wrath of God.'  It lists a whole series of events that make contemporary notions of 'natural distasters' and 'acts of God' pale in comparison.  If you've never read it, they are more than sobering.  But even before we get to the end of the Bible, consider that, "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."  (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

So I started this piece by bad-mouthing the loud-mouthed religious zealots who are so quick to proclaim God's judgment in the midst of a crisis.  For sure, I condemn them.  Why?  Because when God spoke, when God threatened ... He also promised.  God promised forgiveness.  He promised restoration.  A bout of God's wrath would end with God restoring His people and proclaiming that "they will be my people and I will be their God."  This too is who God is.  This too is God's character and nature.  I'm confident that if God were going to appoint a modern day prophet to pronounce His judgment for our sin, He would include the promise of restoration in the face of repentance.

The thing is that I don't know if the latest natural disaster or other calamity is a case of God's wrath being poured out for our sin.  But I do know two things.  First, we are sinful.  The sinfulness of our modern society alarms me.  My own sinfulness alarms me.  Second, sin is always met with God's judgment and wrath.  There is no alternative. 

So perhaps we would all do well to ask ourselves if God might have any reason to judge us and pour out His wrath on us.  And if He does, then repentance is the only appropriate response.  There is no alternative.

I'll Be Mad

Maybe you've had one of them too. I'm talking about those conversations with people who tell you that they're going to get mad if certain conditions exist. "If so-and-so does thus-and-such ... I'm going to be mad!" Or maybe they say something like, "I'm gonna be really mad ....!"

Have you ever thought about what this really means? The individual tries to anticipate the behavior other people, and then predicts their own reaction. Or possibly they're just informing you of a decision they know that they'll make. Really, can you do that? I mean can you decide a decision before you actually make it?

I guess you can. You can set up some parameters and decide ahead of time how you'll handle things inside and outside of those parameters. Marital fidelity might be an example. I decide ahead of time about the commitment I have to my wife. Then should I run across a temptation to sin against her, I've already determined what my response will be.

So it could be just setting boundaries and deciding how you'll enforce those boundaries --- or what you'll do when they're honored. But I'm not so sure that this works when it comes to emotional responses like anger. In fact, I'm rather persuaded that anger is one of those things in humanity that acts like a double-edged sword. As such, anger can be constructive or destructive.

Jesus got angry. (Did you know that?) His anger was generally displayed in one of two instances though. Jesus got angry and acted on His anger when God didn't receive the proper respect that He deserved. An example might be when the money changers were in the temple. Jesus also got angry when the poor, the children, the weak and other underdogs were being taken advantage of.

So I like to think of Jesus' anger examples as illustrations of righteous anger. And the thing is, I've not been able to find other examples of righteous anger. It seems that the most common appearances of anger even within myself have sin as their motivator. Ugh!

So if I didn't get treated fairly, or if I don't think someone held up their end of he deal, I can get angry. But is that really righteous anger? No, I don't think so. For you see, it's born of my sinful nature. It comes from my sense of entitlement, my self righteousness or even my pride. It could come from my selfishness or self-centeredness or inflated view of myself. It could come from my unloving attitude towards others, my unforgiveness or simply my unrealistic and inappropriate expectations.

Jesus set the tone for anger. And I've concluded in my own walk with Christ that He meant for His followers only to experience righteous anger that defends the honor of God and takes up a loving advocate for those who cannot defend, speak or provide for themselves.

Love God and love others, Jesus said, for these are the two most important commandments and everything else rises on their foundation. Who knew that He was talking about anger?

So the next time you're tempted to get angry, or you feel the emotional response of anger rising up within you, stop and check your motive. Why exactly are you mad? What has happened or not happened that stimulates you so?

Can you line it (your anger) up with loving God and loving others? If not, then you must put it down. Immediately. The Bible tells us not to sin in our anger, but the simple truth is that if our anger is not checked with God's priorities - or backed with God's purposes, then sin is written all over it. Any questions?

Getting Dressed

Today in church our pastor said that he wants the church to embark on a month-long reading program of stories from the Old Testament. Ironically, I've been reading in the Old Testament now for quite a number of weeks. Each time I think I'm finished and ready to go (back to the New Testament), God catches my eye with something else.

I tell you, the Old Testament is so rich and full of profound stories. Granted, some of the Old Testament is a bit hard to read. Lists of people who beget and beget until the cows come home; very detailed directions for building a temple ... these are the things that try those of us with short attention spans. I suspect these seemingly dry places in the Old Testament can cause some of us to overlook some of its vast riches.

So I happened on one of these rich stories this week. It's found in the book of Zechariah 3:1-4. Here's what it says: "Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him." So the stage is set. There's Joshua, a most godly man, standing in front of God. Satan is there too ... to accuse him. Satan wants God to know what a filthy wretch Joshua is. Filled with sin, that Joshua. Tsk! Tsk!

The story continues, "The Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?'" So God doesn't want to hear it from Satan. Notice how God doesn't even give Satan a chance to speak. He knows why Satan is there. But God points out to Satan that Joshua is His chosen one. God asks Satan if it isn't clear that Joshua has been "snatched from the fire" of condemnation and hell.

You might think God would at least want to consider the filthiness (sinfulness) of Joshua ... but He doesn't. He rebukes Satan, effectively telling Satan to just shut up! Can you just imagine?

Here's what happened then. "Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel (God). The angel (God) said to those (angels) who were standing with him, 'Take of his filthy clothes.' Then he (God) said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.'"

Let's review this for a minute. Joshua is standing before God. Satan is there to accuse him and make sure God knows how sinful this supposedly godly main (a high priest) really is. God doesn't want to hear it and tells Satan to shut his trap. But as it happened, Joshua was a sinful man. Satan wasn't making stuff up about Joshua. The "father of lies" (as Satan is called) was telling the truth this time.

Joshua, the high priest who was supposed to be so holy, had sin in his life. But rather than listen to Satan talk about it, God simply cleans Joshua up. He removes the sin in his life. God tells His angels to take those filthy rags (sin) that Joshua is wearing. And God gives our friend Joshua new, rich garments (of righteousness). Now our high priest is righteous and holy. God took away the sin that condemned him, and replaced it with righteousness. Wow!

So what do you notice from stories like this? What can you learn? I see at least two important points. First, God does talk to Satan. But He's usually telling Satan how irrelevant (wrong) he is. Second, I notice that Satan doesn't argue with God. Apparently God would never put up with that! But the most important thing I see in this story is who Joshua is and who God is.

You see, even the most godly of men (or women) sin. In fact, other than Jesus, there has never been anyone who walked the face of this earth without sin. So even our pastor, or others that you may look up to as godly people, they sin. They need Jesus. But God looks at us, and He wipes that sin away in an instant. Then He dresses us in righteousness. He makes us holy.

God has been in the business of taking off those filthy clothes (sin) that we all wear, and replacing it with rich new garments (of righteousness) for thousands of years. One might even think it's God's favorite thing to do!

There's a TV show called, "What not to wear." They find someone who is poorly dressed, get rid of their sorry garments and re-dress them in smart, stylish new clothes. I have watched that show and thought of this story about Joshua. It's like God has His own "What not to wear" TV show!

So who's dressing you today? And what will YOU wear?

Sin of Gluttony

The media is bombarding us with the stunning revelation that Americans are too fat. Health and government experts cry foul as more Americans are found to be obese. We have television shows like Biggest Loser and Too Fat for 15, which purport to make heroes out of those who can lose the excess poundage.

But I wonder if we're focused on the right thing. I don't deny that too many people in this country are too fat. That's obvious. But we seem focused on the weight, as a measure of obesity. The higher the scale tips, the more concerned we become. Is that really the right measure? Isn't there a spiritual dimension to this? (Of course there is!)

The Bible has much to say about what people eat. Most of it is found in the Old Testament - which most people don't think we have to follow any more. But Jesus said that isn't so. He did not come to abolish the law --- but rather to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17) What Jesus changed were the the requirements of the covenant ... because now we have a new covenant.

When it comes to eating, the new covenant still allows the Bible to provide us with a significant amount of context around what and how we should eat. Let's take a look at some of those Bible verses.

Exodus 16:18-27 tells the story of God providing daily manna for the Israelites. But He became angry with them when they took any more than they really need.

Leviticus 3:17 says that must "... never eat any fat or blood ..." Of course we know that we can now eat anything we want. On the other hand, if it wasn't good for the Israelites, you must ask yourself how good it could be for us now.

In Numbers 11:18-34, we see the story of the Israelites craving meat and wanting to eat to excess, despite the fact that God had given them sufficient manna. God was angry at their lust for meat. So He gave it to them and promised they would eat it to excess and gag and become sick of the very meat they had lusted after. Later, this actually happened - and God's anger "blazed against them."

Notice the key point in this story from Numbers. God was angry with the Israelites. And what had they done? Lusted after richer food than they were getting. They weren't grateful for what they had, and their desire for other food occupied an inappropriate role in their hearts. God cares very much about what we eat and what we desire to eat.

In Deuteronomy 12:20, it says we "may eat whatever the Lord gives us, except for the things He has expressly forbidden." So what has God forbidden us to eat in the new covenant? Anything to excess. We are not to eat anything to excess.

Proverbs 23:1-3 tells us, "If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat - and don't desire all the delicacies - deception may be involved." Good grief! Did you catch that? Do you think God really expects us to put a knife to our own throats? No, He doesn't. But He is telling us to be vigilant about gluttony. He is telling us that food can deceive us and enslave us. And He wants us to take drastic measures to prevent that kind of enslavement. Deception may be involved. Think about what that means.

There are other Proverbs that warn us about eating excessively. Proverbs 23:20-21 says that drunks and gluttons "are on their way to poverty." Proverbs 25:16 says that eating too many sweets will make you sick. Proverbs 25:28 says that "a person without self-control is as defenseless as a city without broken down walls."

Most theologians will speak of Old Testament food restrictions as law that we don't have to follow any more. Quite frankly though, that attitude throws the proverbial baby out with the bath water. There is sage wisdom in the Old Testament food restrictions. Said differently, while they aren't laws that we have to follow, they nevertheless contain a great deal of wisdom about how people should eat.

Most of the animals, for example, that the Israelites were not allowed to eat, were scavenger animals. This means they feast on rotted food and garbage. Generally speaking, they're not likely to be good for you and they are much more likely to present you with the risk of disease or illness from eating them. Examples include snakes, rodents, pigs, shell fish, etc.

The admonition in Proverbs 25:6 warns us not to eat too much honey because it will make you sick. Most of us might consider that and think of a stomach ache from eating too many sweets in one day. But the broader truth is that too many sweets, especially when coupled with obesity, results in a life-threatening, incurable illness called diabetes. It's more than just getting a stomach ache.

The admonition in Leviticus 7:22 to never eat fat sounds like an old covenant food law. But even without the law, how good is it for humans to eat fat? We know today, for example, that fat clogs your arteries and increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and even death.

So here's the thing. God cares very much what we eat. God cares very much how we eat. We may think it doesn't matter, or even rationalize that we are only hurting ourselves. But that isn't the case. When we eat to excess or eat crap, God is grieved. Remember His anger blazing against the Israelites over their gluttony? How do you think He feels about our gluttony?

Philippians 4:8 tells us to focus on things that "are excellent and worthy of praise." I've come to think of that as a good guideline for my eating habits. When I'm at a buffet, for example, I'll look across and think which things might be "excellent and worthy of praise" in God's eyes. I'll try to think about which things might invoke God's anger or grief.

And I'll consider the fact that even if I make good choices on that buffet, two or three platefuls of good choices can wreck it all. Things that start out as excellent and worthy of praise can lose that attribute when eaten to excess.

There are too many obese people out there today identifying themselves as born-again Christians, Christ-followers ... who are doing nothing about their obesity or the rampant sin in them that causes it. It's almost as if we've taken the sin of gluttony and set it off to the side as not really being a sin any more. Oh we know we're fat and we should do something about it, but the pie is so good. Do you think God really accepts lame excuses like that?

The Bible says that our sin grieves the Holy Spirit. I think God is quite grieved today over the condition of His holy people - those of us who are born-again Christ-followers - who continue to operate in unchecked gluttony. We aren't confessing it, we aren't repenting of it. And we're not being vigilant about rooting this destructive evil from our lives.

So as a church, what do you suppose God would have us do about the rampant sin of gluttony that even our own government now says threatens to destroy us?

Final Judgment?

Do you ever think about the Biblically referenced judgment day? It's spoken of in several books of the Bible. Most of us would understand that there's a day coming when some sort of judgment will occur. Christ will return to judge the world.

Who is it that we think He will judge? I suspect that most of us walking around calling ourselves Christians - calling ourselves "saved" - wouldn't see ourselves on the receiving end of that judgment. Is it because we think we'll all just slip in the VIP entrance to heaven, while Christ stands outside and judges everyone else?

Ask people what it means to be saved. Most will tell you it means that their sins are forgiven through the acts and life of Jesus Christ. That of course would be true. But is that the whole story? I doubt it.

2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." Look at that sentence. Dissect it. Notice words like "all," and phrases like "each one," and "good or bad." Those seem like pretty all-encompassing words. They seem to indicate that everyone who has ever breathed life will be included in this judgment exercise. They foretell an event where everything that every one of us has done, thought, said, believed, supported, enabled, etc. will be reviewed ... regardless of whether it was good or bad.

Perhaps you've never lived an examined life. Nevertheless, this Word from the Lord indicates that Jesus will be examining it for you. No, He's not coming just to judge those who are still rebelling and stuck in their sin because they refused to turn to Him during their time on earth. It seems He's going to get out the books and take a thorough inventory.

Now Jeremiah 31:34 tells us, "... 'they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the LORD. 'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'" Modern day Christians seem to think that God is forgetful. We think this means the sin is wiped from God's memory banks and is beyond His recall. But look again. That's not what it says. Remembering our sins no more is different than forgetting them, or losing the ability to recall them. Make no mistake about it - God does not forget our sins. Even though they may be forgiven, they are not beyond His recall.

So doesn't this seem like a conflict? How do we reconcile forgiveness of sins (which occurs now) with the coming judgment? Revelation 20:11-12 describes this coming judgment event like this. "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened."

Did you catch that? The books (plural noun) were opened. What books? Why were they opened? Folks, these are the books that contain a record of all we did, good or bad. When God said, after forgiving our sin, that He would remember it no more, this is where He put it. Our sin is in God's records vault, being held for that final examination that we all face.

Let's see what happens next as Revelation 20:12-15 continues. "Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ... and each person was judged according to what he had done. ... If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Are you following this? The books (plural noun) are opened to reveal everything about us and the life we lived on this earth. All of it is examined and made known. Everything I've ever done in secret? It becomes very public information - known to all! The one book of life (singular noun) is opened. It contains the names of everyone whom Jesus has saved. If my name is in that book, it cancels everything attached to me in all of the other books. But if my name isn't in that book, the other books speak for me. (Yikes!)

I read an article a few months ago. I think the author titled it something like, "Whatever happened to sin?" He said that even Christ-followers seem to act as if sin doesn't exist. It was this author's opinion that we've forgotten about the significance of sin. We behave as if we don't have to worry about it. Our lives seem to indicate a belief that because we're (supposedly) saved, we can do anything. After all, my sins are all forgiven - past, present and future. Right?

Since I've read that article, I've thought a lot about it. I think the author was right. I see too many of us walking around, calling ourselves Christ-followers, with sin that's ongoing. Said differently, we don't look any different than the world around us. Our sin is just as prevalent as the sin of non-believers (the "unsaved"). Are we really naive enough to think that just because we're saved by the blood of Christ that our sin doesn't matter?

The Apostle Paul told us in Romans 14:10-11 that "... we will all stand before god's judgment seat. ... each one of us will give an account of himself (or herself) to God." Paul also told us (in Romans 6:1-2 and 15) that we not to keep on sinning. He said that sin matters ... even for people who are saved. Did you know that? Ask yourself why it matters. If my name in the book of life can cancel my name and all I've done in all the other books that will be opened --- then why does sin matter any more (once I'm saved)?

Could it be that we've misconstrued the meaning of salvation? Could it be that we've missed the point of God's forgiveness of sin? Is it possible that we've justified our sin with God's forgiveness so that we don't have to deal with it?

Whatever happened to sin? The question is worth answering. Even for Christians.

Keeping the Sabbath

I've noticed that Christians, and even their churches, don't seem to talk much about the Sabbath. It was a day of rest, observed by the Lord Himself when He finished all creation. And it is a day of rest given to mankind by the Lord Himself to be observed weekly.

Different religions define it a bit differently. The Jews (and some Christians) observe it the seventh day of the week (Saturday) for rest and religious observance. Muslims observe it on Friday as a day of prayer and rest. Other Christians observe it on the first day of the week, Sunday, in honor of Christ's resurrection from the dead. The common theme of course is that it is a full day of the week, dedicated to rest from one's working life. Also common in most religions is the fact that it is a day of focus on God - through prayer, worship, etc.

Now something else that I also notice is that the Sabbath doesn't seem to obvious in our modern Christian culture. Many of us may not be scheduled to work at our profession or trade on a particular day of the week, but we may also not be spending that day in rest or focus on the Lord. For many of us, the day off work is a day to get chores and errands done, to spend on entertainment or both.

As I look at Scripture on this subject, I notice that God was very clear about some things regarding the Sabbath. Other aspects of it He seemed to be less emphatic about. Take the day of the week, for example. Whether the Sabbath is appropriately kept on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or any other particular day of the week doesn't seem to be as important to God as other aspects of the Sabbath (such as rest and focus on Him).

Look at what Jeremiah 17: 21-22 says about the Sabbath. "This is what the Lord says: 'Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day .... Do no ... do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded ...'" It continues in Jeremiah 17:27, "but if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load ... then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.'"

So what was God saying here? For starters, He was saying that keeping the Sabbath is a matter of obedience. It is God's will for my life. He defined it as a day of rest, focused on Him (holy) and made it a requirement for His people. Beyond that, He warned that if we do not keep it, there will be dire consequences. Put another way, God will have to punish those who disobey Him by not keeping the Sabbath as He has commanded. The consequences? Adversity, opposition, difficulties and other things that will "consume" Jerusalem (which now represents anywhere God's people live).

Simply put, folks, we are to keep the Sabbath as a holy day of rest. If we aren't willing to do that, then we should not expect to be prosperous (in whatever ways you want to define prosperous). This is not a very difficult message to understand. It's clear and concise.

So why do we see so many Christian cultures that exhibit very little evidence that they are following it? Is it because we don't understand? Is it because God is asking something that's unreasonable or impossible for us to accomplish? It it because we simply don't care?

It seems to me that somewhere along the line even the most righteous people made a conscious decision to allow exceptions. I imagine that some Puritan society found it reasonable and plausible to, for example, allow some work on the Sabbath. Perhaps it was in the field of medicine - where nurses would need to work in hospitals in order that the sick to be cared for.

I think they probably reasoned and logically concluded that the God's command to love one another is more important than His command for a Sabbath. And so the nurses worked on the Sabbath. Of course, the nurses had to get to work, so the taxi drivers worked on the Sabbath. Of course, the taxi drivers had to eat - so the restaurants were open on the Sabbath. The restaurant workers needed childcare - so the day care centers were open on the Sabbath. The day care centers needed diapers - so the department stores were open on the Sabbath.

Do you see where this is going? Mankind used reason and logic to talk ourselves out of a Sabbath day of holy rest. Looking at it a bit more harshly, we might even say that we rationalized and justified sinning against God. (To be sure, not keep any Sabbath is a sin against God.) Is this appropriate? I don't think so.

We're not here to have a theological debate about how the Sabbath is kept. I am not going to argue about where to draw the line. We don't need to fret over whether someone who works at home sins by checking their e-mail on Sunday. We don't need to stew over whether a stay-at-home Mom sins by doing a load of laundry - or a teacher reviews her lesson plan on Sunday evening before the school week starts on Monday.

But I believe it's time for Christians - and anyone else who thinks they are following the one true God - to have a serious discussion about the condition of their hearts as regards the Sabbath. Are we making the effort? When the nurse is scheduled to work on Sunday, does he or she set aside any other day of the week for holy rest from their profession and focus on God?

As I look at the character and nature of God, and consider His words, it is that which day we select or how we define the Sabbath is not nearly as important as our intent. Is our obedience to God's commands purposeful? Is it effective? Do we offer God a sincere effort at obedience?

I don't know if it's a sin to shop or eat out on Sunday. It isn't clear to me that mowing your yard or doing some laundry on Sunday is a sin. I'm not sure if there's room in a proper Sabbath for football or shopping at the local mall. But what I am sure of is that God requires an obedient heart. He expects me to live differently on this one day of the week. He expects that difference in my life on this one day of the week to be tilted towards Him.

So maybe the best question any of us could ask ourselves is what you and I can do to make our observance of the Sabbath day of holy rest more intentional, more sincere and more effective.

Judgment's Surprise

The Old Testament book of Zephaniah is an interesting book. Actually most of the books of the Old Testament books are interesting; each time I read through them I seem to notice something different. This week it was my time to notice something new in Zephaniah.

Zephaniah is a book that discusses, amongst other things, punishment for sin. It speaks of God's wrath; His fury over evil and the terrible acts He'll unleash to purge it. And then I noticed it. Even God's people - you know, the ones who are "saved" - have to go through that judgment.

Now we know God's judgment has a purpose for evil (to destroy it). And we also know that He is very much a purpose driven God. (Yes, it's true ... God never does anything or allows anything without some purpose that serves His will.) So what then could be the purpose of God's chosen people - the ones who are "saved" - getting to experience God's judgment?

And there is is. Judgment would not be merely for punishment for sin. It will not be limited to destroying those evil-doers in life. But it will also be a means of purifying people - those ones who are saved - the remnant of God's people.

So what will this look like? The thorns (in our sides) will be taken away. No longer will we have to make do with God's grace. We will be sinless. We will be untemptable. Can you even imagine! There will be nothing that can tempt us. No vice. No thought. No memories even. We will be pure. This is big!

You know, the Apostle Paul talks in the New Testament about the thorn in his side, which God refused to take away from him. Paul never reveals what exactly it was. But apparently he implored God to take it away. God said, "No, my grace is sufficient for you." In other words, God decided He would be glorified if Paul walked with that thorn in his side. He also knew He'd empowered Paul to handle it. It might annoy and trouble or aggravate Paul, but it would never overtake him.

You may remember Paul as the guy who wrote Romans 7 - where he talks about his inability to stop sinning. He said something along the lines of, "I know what to do - but I don't do it. I know what not to do - but that I do. Oh what a wretched man am I!" Now I don't know about you, but I have always figured that Paul was probably speaking to that thorn in his side. I just assume that some temptation, some sin pattern or something that would make Paul look less than stellar as an Apostle was the thorn in his side. Maybe he struggled with lust. Maybe he was fearful. We'll never know. But it was a thorn, it was bad, and God asked Paul to live with it.

So when God's judgment comes upon us all, the thorns will be wiped out. In all these years of studying God's ways and learning His character, I somehow missed the significance of that! God's judgment will surely destroy evil and wipe out the evil-doers. But of those that are "saved" and belong to Him - the remnant of God's people - the thorns will be taken away. We will be purified.

May we never consider God's wrath and judgment the same ways ever again!

Catholic Heresy

To my dear Catholic friends and loved ones --- please forgive me, but today's blog is about the insane level of deception in your faith. I mean the Catholics are more deluded than the Jews.

These are hard words for me to write, because I have some very dear friends who are both Catholic and Jewish. I pray for both groups of loved ones. I pray that they will stop being deceived by their own religions and religious traditions. I pray that they will see the truth.

It is easy for us to write off the false world religions like Islam, Hindu and others. But the Jewish faith and the Catholic faith seem so very close to Christianity. They seem so very close to the truth. We tend to think highly of them and regard them well. We shouldn't.

Today's Jews are denying that Jesus is who He said He is. That puts them on par with the Muslims --- they both seem to believe about the same thing about Christ. Quite frankly, that's an easier proposition for Christians to deal with.

But the Catholics take Jesus Christ and pervert Him in so many ways! I have blogged before about Catholic heresy. (I think the last time was when they cancelled or closed "limbo" for babies who haven't sinned but can't get into heaven because they haven't been baptized.) Today, we are faced with a comeback of the Catholic notion of "indulgences" regarding "absolution."

In Catholic terms, "indulgence" is the full or partial remission of the temporal punishment for sin which has already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the (Catholic) church after the sinner has confessed and received "absolution." This "absolution" is just forgiveness imparted to the sinner in the name of the Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) on behalf of the (Catholic) church. Absolution is usually not granted until after "penance" has been assigned by the priest receiving the confession of the sin. Penance is simply a penalty to be paid. It can range from repeating "Hail Mary" prayers to self punishment in physical forms to making restitution of parties injured by the confessed sin.

Did you catch all of that? Did you see all of the heresy in this? It is most noteworthy that not a single bit of this Catholic crap is Biblical. Let's break this apart a bit and examine why.

First of all, there is no such thing as "temporal punishment for sin which has already been forgiven." When our sin is forgiven by God, that is it. There is no punishment. Natural consequences will still belong to us each. God rarely intervenes to take those away from us. But there is no punishment. Jesus took the punishment for our sin, on our behalf, on the cross. When He did it, His closing remarks were, "It is finished." And it was! So no priest (or anyone else for that matter) has the power to take the punishment for our sins away from us. Even if they did, the only way they could would be to take the punishment on our behalf --- like Jesus did!

Second, forgiveness of sin (absolution) cannot be extended to a sinner in the name of the Trinity on behalf of the church. God never authorized any church to forgive sin. He instructed men (and women) to forgive each other. He said if we don't forgive each other then we will not ourselves be forgiven. But nowhere in any Bible does God delegate authority to forgive sin to the church or any other worldly body of mankind. The Catholic church is guilty of thinking more highly of itself than it ought to (a sin that the Bible warns against).

Third, penance is not Biblical, except in the context of making amends to those we may have wronged with our sin. God doesn't want our worship (of Him) if we have fractured relationships with each other. He specifically says that if we are coming to Him to worship and find that someone else has something against us, we should set aside our worship and go be reconciled with our brother (or sister) before returning to worship God. That is the entire definition of penance in God's book. It really does go no further than that.

The simple truth is that we are to confess our sins to God. When we do, He forgives them. End of story. We are also to confess our sins to "each other" (meaning a "saint" who is at least as spiritually mature as we are). When we do, He heals us from those sin patterns that control us. Forgiveness and healing. They are the only two consequences that God has in store for confessed sin.

The news reports are that the Catholic church is bringing back indulgences as a way to incent its members to confess their sin. Incentive or not - it is still heresy. Let us not be deceived by heresy, be it Catholic or otherwise.

And let us pray earnestly for our Catholic brothers and sisters who want to believe on Jesus Christ. They are unfortunately trapped in an ungodly religion that takes the Jesus who is and perverts Him to such an extent that He is unrecognizable --- and untrue.

Addiction's Roots

It seems to have become a fairly common term in our culture. I’m talking about addiction. It is often used in the media. People readily confess to it. The stigma that surrounded it for so long seems to be disappearing. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if it might not become in vogue to be addicted to something!

But I’ve noticed that people usually don’t use refer to something as an addiction until they get caught by the consequences of whatever it is they say they are addicted to. Alcoholics, for example, don’t usually decide they are addicted to alcohol until it is ruining their lives. Those who profess a shopping addiction don’t typically get there until they are drowning in credit card debt. Food addicts are always obese by the time they confess the addiction.

Seriously, it makes me wonder if consequences aren’t the true measure in our culture of what an addiction is. If the consequences aren’t spiraling out of control, then I am not addicted. If I'm able to keep juggling my credit card debt, then I just like to shop. If I drink a lot, but it isn't ruining my life, then I just like to drink. If I smoke, it is part of my character and I just enjoy a good cigar or cigarette - until I get cancer from it. Then it's an addiction. Isn’t that the way we tend to view it? And isn’t that kind of thinking rather flawed?

I believe that addiction to anything is probably a physical symptom of a deeper, spiritual problem. Perhaps it is an attitude of the heart, or the result of a broken and hardened heart. It seems that many addicts have been through difficult traumas in their lives – the kind that tends to harden hearts. And I think it goes deeper than that. I think it gets down to the level of worship. I know, you’re thinking I must be insane to correlate addiction with worship. But bear with me here.

Worship is idolatry. We don’t think of it that way because it idolizes the one true God – when it is good and righteous. But when we idolize anything or anyone else, I would argue that it is still worship – except that now it is without the righteousness. Idolatry is defined as the worship of or an immoderate attachment or devotion to something (Merriam-Webster dictionary). It could be to the one true God of the universe. That would produce a Jesus freak, a sold-out fanatic who would give his or her life for Christ. On the other hand, it could be to something or someone less than Jesus.

Christians are by nature designed to worship. You and I were made to worship, as the song goes. That is very true. But what we were made to worship? And what if we don’t worship Him? Well then we will worship something or someone else. So the word idolatry, and my immoderate attachment or devotion can be applied to God – or it can be applied to alcohol, drugs, sex, food, gambling, TV, sleep, Internet, pornography, exercise, sports, work, video games, shopping, self, relationships … and the list goes on.

II Timothy 3:4 identifies people who desire an idolatrous (i.e., immoderate) pleasure more than they desire to honor God as “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Ouch! Now loving these pleasures may be a response to pain. Both the love of pleasure and the avoidance of pain (or escape) can fuel any so-called addiction.

For most of us who have not learned to deal with our pain in God-honoring ways, and not learned to lean on God’s provision to walk through our trials, it is very tempting to reach for something that brings us pleasure or helps us avoid or tune out the pain. Enter the addiction.

Now I know what I’m saying is going to make some people mad. Why is that? Because it’s offensive. If I can blame my perverted relationship with food, sex, drugs, alcohol, or whatever on “addiction,” then I am not responsible. I am a helpless victim suffering from a sinister disease. But as we say in Texas, “that dog won’t hunt.” To get at the root of any addiction, we simply need to get at the root of your God.

The Bible tells us to love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. In other words, we are to worship Him, with an immoderate devotion and attraction. I believe the real solution for addicts of any kind is a relationship (be it new or restored) with Jesus Christ. Ironically, we were also made to worship only one thing at a time.

So as we worship, and commit idolatry over Christ, guess what? The addictions will fade. Alcohol will lose its power in my life. So will shopping, sex, drugs, food, gambling, and all those other things that promised to changed the way we feel --- and instead enslaved us in an ugly addiction with disastrous consequences.

Think you’re addicted to something? Look at the focus of your worship. If you find that you are addicted, get your focus on Christ and learn to idolize Him in your everyday life. Therein lies the only true cure for human addiction.

Casino Experience

I'm in Reno, Nevada this week, staying at the Grand Sierra Casino. It used to be a Hilton, but they just changed it's name, I'm told. I'm not gambling, just staying here on business. The Casino had the best hotel rates --- $39 per night. Incredibly cheaper than even the cheesiest of motels. And this is one big hotel. There are hundreds of rooms on more than 28 floors. It towers into the skyline.

Aside from the guest rooms, it is one big hotel. It feels more like a mall or a convention center. There of course is the casino area, with its flashing colored lights, game tables, etc. But there is a bowling alley, movie theater, live theater, enormous sports bar, gambling bar, cappuccino bar, shopping arcade, RV park, water park, gymnastics park, health club, conference center, ballroom, condominiums, and probably a dozen restaurants ranging from a place that looks like a Subway sandwich shop (but doesn't carry that brand) to an expensive steak place.

So what is the experience when one stays in hotel on such a grand scale? We tend to think that everything is bigger in Texas. In this case, maybe not. Nevada might have the lock on big hotels. At any rate, let's take a look at the consumer experience. It is decidedly different.

I ascend to the 21st floor in the drabbest elevator I've seen in a hotel. No multi-media, no advertisements, no posters, no color. It's a dark, drab elevator. One might sleep there. If one were stuck in it, I suppose one might die of boredom! Getting off the elevator, you find yourself in a mirrored lobby that is of course, enormous. From the lobby are four different concourses into the various wings of the hotel. That hallway is lined with chandeliers. I get to my room, and it is decidedly different too.

The first thing you notice is the mirrored furniture. The desk, night stands, coffee and coffee table are black, with mirrored surfaces. The lamps are shiny chrome. The black leather wallpaper takes you back, even with a flat screen TV hanging on it. The velour couch and faux fur blankets are interesting. And when you begin to read or try to do some work, you notice that you have to turn on all of the lights --- in order to get enough light to do anything. Why does this room have to be so dark?

My goodness, even the folding luggage rack is shiny chrome. The coffee pot is new fangled and befuddling (two of my colleagues complained that they couldn't figure out how to use theirs --- and they're professional consultants!) The shower is rich marble, with a funky shower door that has a hole in the center of it! What is that about? The bathroom lights rise up from the floor. The faucet and handles look like something from the Jetsons cartoon. Mind you, it's a comfortable room and nicely appointed. But like I said, decidedly different. Decidedly tacky.

The other night I wandered into the main restaurant. It sits in a giant rotunda with two story waterfalls in it. There are five other restaurants in that same rotunda (I told you it was big). They offer me the buffet for $16.99. Okay, I'll try that. Strolling through the buffet you immediately notice that it too is large. There are many, many choices, ranging from Mexican food to soups to Italian or even the American buffet.

Now the thing is, I take a few things which look good. When I begin to eat them, I notice that they aren't. In fact, they're really not good at all. The chicken is overcooked and seems to have a lot of sugar in the batter it was fried in. The macaroni & cheese tastes grainy. I decide not to eat them. The roll is stale, the butter is runny. So I switch to some steamed veggies. They are really nice, still firm, very good.

I stroll back to the Italian buffet and get some baked swordfish and put some fettuccine with it. This looks good. Alas, I get back to the table and find that the noodles have been sitting on the steam table all week. They are not good. The sauce is salty. The swordfish is bland and tasteless. I abandon them and retreat to the dessert bar. Lots of choices here. I get samples of a couple things. A couple of them seemed almost tasty. Largely I conclude that this just isn't worth it. The grand buffet is only large --- and not really all that grand.

The next night, my boss suggests that we dine in the expensive steak restaurant. The prices are high ($32 for the smallest steak). We have three waiters who seem nice and attentive. My boss wonders aloud if we look like we are high maintenance (surely one waiter could handle us). There are two servers who "assist" the waiters. They seem confused. The food is okay, pretty good actually. The steak is pretty good. The beans are nice. The salads are nice. The club soda that I ordered arrives in a very cool glass. We enjoy our meal --- sitting in a velvet upholstered booth with two-story strings of beads all around our booth that keep moving as people walk by. It is very distracting. You get this sensation that you are dining under water. And of course, it is very dark.

We finish our meal and walk out in the rotunda, where one enters any of these restaurants. They each have their theme and their hostesses. They each have different decorations, different dishes, different uniforms on the wait staff. And then we notice it. The physical space allotted for this culinary dining mall --- has enough physical space to most likely accommodate one kitchen! So the discussion ensues. How is it that from one kitchen, the hotel can serve food that ranges from very good to very bad?

Do they look at the noodles for example, and say "Oh this gets served in the buffet, so overcook it and put salt on it." When they get the chicken ready, do they say, "This goes into the high end restaurant, so put it on a larger plate and pour a three-day aged reduction over it, with an orchid laying beside it." Why can't people in the buffet have an orchid with their chicken? Isn't it harder to serve firm, shaped butter in one restaurant, and runny butter pads in another?

This whole casino experience is a study in sociology. It's a study in humanity. The people here don't seem healthy. They don't seem happy. In the casinos they're sitting with a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other. They don't smile or even interact. They just sit and stare at the slot machines, feeding them money. I saw one in a wheel chair, with an oxygen tank. She was smoking a cigarette, with a drink in one hand, feeding money into the machine. I wondered how she got to this place in life. What is it that draws her to this age-of-aquarius experience?

The families in the casino look different too. Quite frankly, the only families we've seen appeared to be young. In fact, they appeared to be people who can't afford to be here. Their little kids climb over the booths and rattle the hanging beads in the restaurants. The dads sit in the expensive steak place with their ball caps on, while the wives are dressed to the nines and sip champagne. Both are ignoring their kids. They aren't smiling. They aren't talking. You wonder if they're shell-shocked from losing so much money.

Walking through the casino, surveying the landscape last night, we noticed something. The restrooms have slot machines that supposedly have a 100% payback. If slot machines are going to return 100% of what's played in them, why would you put them in the bathrooms? Nowhere else in the casino do we see such machines. And we wonder why the casino would want to make the restrooms a so much more rewarding experience.

I'm not a fan of casinos. Frankly, I just don't get it. New age tacky, indoor smokers. Unhealthy, people who don't look happy and don't look as if they're having a good time. Food that is mostly not worth it. Did I mention that the valet lost our rental car? In fact he did such a good job of losing the rental car that we had to take a cab to our client meeting yesterday morning. (He finally found it later in the day.) So service isn't really much to brag about either.

So why do they keep building these monstrous facilities? Because people keep coming to them. And why do people keep coming to them? Like I said ... I just don't get it!