Maximum Tax Rate

Genesis 47:26 says, “And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.”

I’m a supporter of the Fair Tax, which is a national sales tax that includes a amendment to the constitution to eliminate income tax.  This may be difficult enough, but if we could set a maximum on the tax rate this would be even better.  Taking Joesph’s rate we could divide it as 10% federal, 5% state, and 5% local.  The advantage would be that candidates could only contest over how much lower than the maximum their tax would be and what it would be used for.  Of course debt would still be a problem.

One in a zillion kind of mutation

National Geographic has found a penguin that has atypical pigmentation.  What is interesting to me is how likely they think this could occur.  “It’s a one in a zillion kind of mutation”.  If different coloration is a one in a zillion mutation then how can mutations possibly explain the existence of the penguin at all let alone other life on earth?  Variation within a kind is expected in the Biblical Creationist world view.

An Unknown Tounge

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but I Corinthians 14:19 tells us that five understandable words are worth more than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Of course this seems similar to the admonition given to Peter to forgive seventy times seven.  In other words, always forgive and always speak understandably.

Purpose of the Second Amendment

From Do The Right Thing

I’m an avid hunter, but I know and you know that the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting; it’s about tyranny. – Mike Huckabee.

You Need To Read

God’s Word must be esteemed above all literature.  It is not a work of man, but the work of God inspired, preserved, and the authority that should guide everything we do.  Does this mean that we do not need other books?  Certainly not.  As long as a book follows scripture it can be used of God.  C. H. Spurgeon said it well in a sermon on II Timothy 4:13 “”The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.”

We do not know what the books were about, and we can only form some guess as to what the parchments were. Paul had a few books which were left, perhaps wrapped up in the cloak, and Timothy was to be careful to bring them. Even an apostle must read. Some of our very ultra Calvinistic brethren think that a minister who reads books and studies his sermon must be a very deplorable specimen of a preacher. … How rebuked are they by the apostle! He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books! The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, “Give thyself unto reading.” The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. You need to read.

Paul’s separation of books from parchments seems to indicate that there were books the weren’t scripture in the collection he requested.  We would do well to read more, learning not just from scripture, but also from works that line up with scripture.  Spurgeon practiced this himself as his personal library had over 30,000 volumes.