But Libya, Egypt and Tunisia are far away from most of us, right? That sort of thing could never happen here, could it?

Violence far and near

I realize that for some of you reading this, Libya may be fairly nearby, but for most, the fighting in the Middle East is very far away. But it should still matter to you.

Vertical thinkers know that the Creator God takes a special interest in the Middle East, and particularly the area around Jerusalem. Bible prophecies show that what happens there can spread, and it will affect all the rest of the world. That is a discussion for another time, but if you would like to learn more, request or download the free booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy. It is important to realize that what we saw happening in the Middle East could happen in your neighborhood too.

History shows that time and again political unrest has led to bloodshed. In the 1830s and ’40s a wave of revolutions swept across most European nations, with scenes that would appear very much like those we’ve watched on television in recent weeks.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. It began because men could not reconcile their political differences about government and slavery. Political disagreements escalated into one of the bloodiest wars in history, right here in the United States.

Still, you might say, things have changed a lot since the 1800s. They have in ways, but it was less than 20 years ago that a six-day riot broke out in Los Angeles, California. Nearly a billion dollars of property damage occurred, 53 people died and thousands more were injured—not in the Middle East, but in California. It could happen in your town.

How can you be safe?

So, how can you be safe in a world of violence? Is there a place to be safe or measures you can take? In a word, yes! But real safety won’t be found behind bars and locks or from guns and ammunition. That same God who is concerned with events in the Middle East is concerned with your safety as well. If you follow His direction in your life, He promises real, physical protection.

A particularly poetic portion of the Bible says it this way: “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.” Why? “Because you have made the Lord…your dwelling place” (Psalm 91:7, 9).

Consider the story of a young man in the Bible who was in Jerusalem when an invading army captured and destroyed the city. This fellow named Baruch bewailed his fate, but God sent him a personal message promising to protect his life in the midst of war and destruction (Jeremiah 45:2-5). What does this story have to do with you, today? Everything!

These stories are not just ancient fables. They’re examples and promises that we can rely on when the world around us gets crazy. What we saw in the Middle East will happen again and again. Yet we do not have to be afraid. If we look to and follow the one, true God, we can trust that He will keep us safe. For more information, see “Coming Calamities: Does God Offer Protection?” VT

- About the Author -

Frank Dunkle and his wife Sue are now busy raising their first child in Columbus, Ohio, where they attend the United Church of God.

WikiLeaks is a website aimed at sharing leaked information. Starting as a user-edited wiki (from the Hawaiian word for “fast,” but which some think is short for “What I Know Is”), it rapidly grew into a website that now boasts it has released 1.2 million documents from anonymous news sources and leaks that are otherwise unavailable to the public.

What I know is…

People want to know what is happening in the world around them. This is natural and normal. Humanity has always had an obsession with knowledge, both good and bad. This desire has given way to countless scientific discoveries and medical breakthroughs, but also gossip, slander and rumor.

So what do we do with the flood of information we’re faced with every day? Should we get caught up in conspiracy theories, biased websites and questionable news media for our sources of knowledge?

Use discernment

Knowledge is everywhere! Half of it is rubbish! Wisdom is knowing which types of knowledge are valuable and when to use that knowledge. Discernment is using wisdom to distinguish not only right from wrong, but right from “almost right.” We can certainly glean from valuable information that is instantly accessible to us if we use the filter of wisdom and discernment.

Fear fear

Often our drive for knowledge can be influenced heavily by fear. Perhaps the fast pace of our society mixed with the fear of imminent instability has heightened this drive in recent years. A prophecy relating to the end time (our time now) states that “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4).

Tame the tongue

Social hysteria over a particular issue, person or event is created out of people simply flapping their gums too much.

Without his association with a controversial website, Assange would not have reached celebrity status and few would have heard about his alleged sexual crimes. Due to his infamy, thrill-seekers, gossipmongers and conspiracy-theorists are flocking to this site, seeking “inside knowledge” so they can redistribute the “new” knowledge. But this type of thing can add to the problem, since every retelling has a tendency to distort the knowledge further from the truth. In our lives we should avoid seeking and spreading questionable knowledge.

Seek true knowledge

God has provided us with answers to life’s questions. We don’t need to turn to WikiLeaks, which is full of distracting trivia, for knowledge when we have God’s living Word, which is the true foundation of knowledge. The Bible is a history book, documentary, action thriller, self-help book, money management guide, marriage guide and so much more!

God also gave us inquiring minds to seek out the truth about this planet and each other, and the potential to create great marvels. We can satisfy our desires for the right kind of knowledge in productive ways in this wonderful and awe-inspiring world we live in.

For more information on information overload, please see “Information Inundation.” VT

- About the Author –

Corbin Rose works as contract graphic designer in California and in Michigan where he attends the United Church of God.

The students at two high schools in Shoreline, Washington, participated in a contest to see who could go an entire week without the technologies and applications that seem so intrinsically a part of life for teenagers. What an interesting experiment!

Some teens were apprehensive and some were excited about the challenge. It would be like stepping back in time—to 1995.

For teens growing up in the 15 years since that threshold-crossing year when e-mail and the Internet became widely available, technology is simplyalways there. It defines communication—often mostly texting these days—and convenience because small technologies like cell phones, iPods and e-readers are portable.

What’s my (Facebook) status?

One student felt that if the week went by easily, with little hardship, he could then conclude that the technology was a positive “addition to my life.” However, he felt that if the week was difficult and he experienced withdrawals, then he would know that these technologies had become an addiction (“Teens Go Tech-Free: No Facebook, Texting for One Week”).

It is fairly common for people to take a “Facebook fast” when they think they are getting too addicted to the social network. Sometimes the seemingly trivial distractions of social networking, messaging and texting can creep into or eclipse completely a part of our life that is crucial—our relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Talking tech…

Technology isn’t all bad or all good. It simply is what it is—a tool we can use for business, education, personal relationships, inquiries and entertainment.

Newer, ever fancier and more powerful products advertised with witty, clever or futuristic ad campaigns can give technological innovations an aura of being able to do everything and fix or cure every human and societal ill. Reality suggests that they have produced more ills than they have cured. No technology can eradicate the dark side of human nature.

In moderation

Forsaking the old for the new isn’t always the answer. If a close friend is ill and he or she needs a boost, don’t just send a text that says, “SRRY UR SICK.” Send a card or write a letter about how much the person’s friendship means to you. If the occasion calls for it, step back to the low-tech to deliver your message with more meaning.

Even the most powerful tool in your spiritual arsenal—prayer—is low-tech. Yet it is the thing that keeps us connected to the God who created the planet with the oil, coal and water systems that supply the power stations that allow all of the high-tech to function. Think of that each time you plug in your mobile phone to charge it for the day’s use.

Keep technology appropriate to its place. Don’t let it grow out of proportion or obscure your vital lines of communication with God. To learn more, read“Building a Better Relationship With God.”

- About the Author -

Amanda Stiver is a Vertical Thought staff member and freelance writer and editor from Columbus, Ohio.

Look no further! The Malaysian office of advertising agency Young and Rubicam has developed something truly unique with their promotional Web site savethewords.org. This unusual site is part of the ad campaign for the Oxford English Dictionary in Malaysia and Singapore, according to a recentstory on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered.

Host Robert Siegel begins the NPR story with this explanation:

“The homepage is a patchwork of signs and labels, each one displaying a single word. Not just any word: obscure words, words in such disuse that they have been bounced from the dictionaries.”

He gave examples of words we may not need anymore like squiriferous (the qualities of a gentleman) and frutescent (the qualities of shrub).

“These old, endangered words, and there are dozens like them, are on the savethewords.org website, where they are available for adoption. You sign up for a word, and you promise to use it in conversation and correspondence as frequently as possible.”

Unfortunately for our society, there is one small, three-letter word that is thought to have fallen into the category of “old, endangered words” ready for retirement: sin.

No social context

Why has the word “sin” fallen into a group of forgotten words that we rarely hear? The answer is very simply that society has chosen to ignore its meaning and importance. There is no longer a social context for understanding what sin is.

The concept of sin is inextricably tied to the principle of separating right choices from wrong choices and distinguishing good behavior from evil behavior. Our society has developed the condition described by the biblical prophet Isaiah, where there are many “who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).

Examples of this condition are all around us. If you watch an hour of television, glance at magazines in the store or look at movies in a video rental outlet, you will see dozens of examples of choices and behavior that are condemned by the Bible as evil, but approved by society as good. Such an environment blinds people to the existence of sin, making it a word that we seldom hear.

The reality of sin

Despite this social attitude toward sin, the Bible consistently shows that there is a difference between right and wrong, between good and evil. Sin does exist! It is a reality of human life.

King Solomon wrote that “there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). The apostle Paul agreed with this assessment when he said, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

To love God with our whole heart, we must recognize the reality of sin in our own lives. It is a word that cannot simply drop from our social or personal vocabulary. Much to the contrary, God’s Word shows that the path to real happiness and peace must include resisting and overcoming sin. As vertical thinkers, we must be willing to call sin what it is!

To learn more read, “The Three-Letter Word No One Wants to Talk About.”

- About the Author -

David Cobb attends the Indianapolis, Indiana, congregation of the United Church of God with his wife Mandie and daughter HannahBeth.

Most humans need about eight hours each day, but newborn infants average twice that. Unfortunately, like horses, young babies don’t take their sleep in long stretches. Instead they awake to eat—and have their diapers changed—every two to three hours.

Baby pondering

I ponder this at 3 a.m. while trying to rock my newborn son back to sleep and I wonder, “Why couldn’t I be like a horse?” It would be wonderful to feel good after just three hours of rest. As a college student, I wondered why people had to spend nearly a third of their time asleep; wouldn’t it be great to use all that time for studying, working or having fun? Why do we need to sleep at night?

The simple answer is that God made us that way. He is the one who said, “Let there be light”! He built into humans a circadian rhythm that makes us want to sleep at night when it’s dark and wake up when the sun lights the sky. But, again, why? I ask that of my one-month-old son, but he doesn’t answer. He just gurgles or cries.

Curious sleep

I got curious enough to do some research on the human need for sleep. It turns out that we can go without the normal amount of sleep for a while—as all new parents discover—but skimping on slumber over the long term can cause some serious problems. Sleep deprivation reduces our ability to think, handle stress, moderate emotions and maintain a healthy immune system.

Other physical effects can include high blood pressure, slurred speech and tremors. It could even eventually be fatal. Lab rats denied the chance to sleep die within two or three weeks.

During sleep our cells rejuvenate. Healing speeds up, and young bodies grow. Studies of dreaming suggest that our brains sort out and make sense of information and conduct problem solving during sleep.

Great awakening

These are all good reasons to get a good night’s sleep (which I hope to be able to do again in a month or so), but some scriptures in the Bible indicate another one. The ancient prophet Jeremiah wrote of God, “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Think of it—each new day is a chance to start over. We may have made mistakes, but we can admit them, change our ways and begin anew. Perhaps our Creator made us to need sleep every night so that we would have that many opportunities to be forgiven and start over again.

In another place, the Bible says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Haven’t you experienced that yourself? There is something about a new day that makes it easier to deal with problems of the past. The famous movie Gone With the Wind emphasizes that point with its closing line: “After all, tomorrow is another day!”

It dawned on me

This is certainly true for me. Our baby finally goes to sleep—and then so can I for a couple more hours before it will be time to get up and go to work. But this morning brings more than renewed responsibilities and chores. The dawn also brings a fresh start. God’s mercies can always be renewed, and this is a chance for me to start all over again.

To better pursue your new day tomorrow, living and doing the right things, read “Borderline Christians: A New Generation.”

- About the Author -

Frank Dunkle and his wife Sue are now busy raising their first child in Columbus, Ohio, where they attend the United Church of God.

Often the would-be seller brings in an item he or she believes is worth thousands of dollars only to be offered far less. Sometimes what the customer is trying to sell is a fake and worthless. An object on which the seller placed so much value has no real value at all.

However, once in a while someone brings something in and finds out that it is worth far more than ever imagined. That individual had no idea such a valuable item was in his or her possession.

To succeed at their trade, the owners of the pawnshop meticulously determine what each object is worth. If they make too many bad decisions, the business would fail. Their livelihood depends on it. That’s why they are Pawn Stars.

What’s it worth to you?

Are we Pawn Star Christians or are we like the uninformed individuals walking into the pawnshop?

Here’s what I mean. We all place value on different parts of our lives. We have jobs, education, family, friends and hobbies.

These are all important, but you may have noticed that I left one out—Christianity.

One of Jesus Christ’s students, Matthew, wrote about an analogy Jesus used comparing the Kingdom of Heaven (or Kingdom of God) to a treasure in a field. A man comes across that treasure and realizes the great value. He sells everything he has so that he can buy the field and the valuable treasure it contains.

Then Jesus used a second analogy. A man is out looking for pearls and finds a pearl that he realizes is of high value. And once again, this man sells everything so that he can possess it (Matthew 13:44-46).

Know your merchandise

Let me ask again—are we Pawn Star Christians? Would we recognize that treasure in the field or the pearl of great price? Or do we place too much value on the wrong things?

Just as running a pawnshop is the Harrisons’ business, Christianity should be our business. They need to properly appraise merchandise to be successful, and we need to properly value all aspects of our life to be successful Christians. If we put high value on the wrong things, we will fail in our occupation as a follower of Christ and not reach our ultimate goal of the Kingdom of God.

(Learn more about the Kingdom of God/Heaven by reading “The Kingdom of Heaven.”)

In our fast-paced, live-for-now world, it’s easy to overlook the most valuable part of our life. Jesus Christ tells us that we can possess this most precious treasure of all, but first we have to recognize how much it is worth.

We don’t want to be like some of those misguided Pawn Stars customers. We can’t afford to place too much value on the wrong things some of which may even be counterfeits.

Let’s learn to properly appraise our lives and be Pawn Star Christians.

- About the Author -

Paul Hadley and his wife Karen live in Columbus, Ohio, where they attend the United Church of God.

His condition is called retinitis pigmentosa. Its damage is irreversible and unstoppable—but, it turns out, not impassable.

Optical implant

In a recent study, Miikka and others underwent surgery to receive an optical implant—one that enabled the legally blind man to “read letters, tell the time and identify a cup and saucer on a table” (“Vision Chip Restores Sight to Blind Man,” Guardian.co.uk). It’s the kind of story you’d half-expect to be reading about in a science-fiction novel, and yet, here it is. This is happening. The blind are being given sight.

Incredible as such an achievement is, it still has some inherent flaws. Subjects were only able to see in black and white (and even then, without much in the way of clarity), and the implant’s operation was dependent on a rechargeable battery pack. Those behind the technology are hopeful that future advancements will improve the quality of vision afforded by the implant—and, in all likelihood, they will.

Better sight coming

What Miikka and others like him have been given is amazing. To go from near-total blindness to having any sort of sight perception at all is nothing to scoff at—but there’s something far greater awaiting the blind of this world, and it doesn’t depend on scientific advances.

When Jesus Christ left the earth to return to His Father’s right hand, He made a promise to return one day—and not on His own, but with His saints, to establish a Kingdom that will span the entire world. Under His reign, we are promised that “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isaiah 35:5-6).

The physical maladies that plague so many will be removed forever—and more than that, eventually, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

See this now

What’s coming is a day when people like Miikka Terho, along with every member of the human race, will be made whole and given a chance to know the God who loves them. Want to know more? Then read “Coming: An End to Suffering.”

- About the Author -

Jeremy Lallier attends university in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he also works part-time at the home office of the United Church of God.

Does some unknown force draw you closer and closer to the mission for which your life was intended?

Do we even think in these antiquated terms anymore?

I was destined…to see a movie

A few weeks ago I watched, a little late, the cinematic blockbuster from early summer 2010, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It’s an exciting action-adventure movie with plenty of dazzling special effects and exotic locations and costumes, and it contained the requisite social/political message buried (not very subtly) in the plot line.

The actual storyline pertains to a Persian street urchin, Dastan, who is adopted by the emperor and becomes a prince of the land, sometime in the ancient past. Persia is mythologized in this production, so please don’t watch it and assume that it’s remotely historically accurate.

As a young man, Dastan and his brothers declare war on a holy city that is the residing place of a dagger containing special sand able to turn back time for one minute. As the story progresses, we find that the dagger is actually the key to a larger block of sand that, if let loose completely, will destroy the world by turning time back all the way to the beginning.

Naturally the bad guy in the movie wants to do just that. So Dastan and the plucky heroine, Princess Tamina, are both “destined” to save the dagger and protect the big block of time-swallowing sand. Through the course of the movie both Dastan and Tamina, despite their differences, come to understand that they were called for the job. However, Dastan also believes that you can make your own destiny.

It’s like it was meant to be

The film made me wonder, do we actually have a destiny? Is it a quasi-mystical calling that directs us irresistibly toward an endpoint regardless of what we want to do? Or are we the masters of our own fate?

Yes. Yes and no. And, yes. Got that?

We do have a destiny, and it is driving us irresistibly toward an endpoint, but we are not powerless in its grasp. We were not made simply to live and die pointlessly and meaninglessly. On the other hand, we weren’t destined only for one moment, one action in time after which we sink back into obscurity.

Marvelously, the entirety of humankind, past, present and future, is destined for a greater existence than this physical one. The entire story—plot line, if you will—of the Bible explains the origin, plan and execution of this destiny for the whole human race.

Your destiny, your choice

God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are a family and are in the business of expanding that family. We are candidates for adoption, but that’s where the personal choice part of destiny comes in. We have to want to be a part of that greater family and prove our willingness by repenting of our sins and obeying the commandments of God.

Actually, if the world obeyed the commandments, life would be much better now. But God’s law is more than that. It’s a training tool, teaching us how to live God’s way of life—loving and unselfish—and shaping our character for the spiritual life to come.

This is our future—and ultimately—the future of all humanity:

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He [Jesus Christ] is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2, emphasis added).

You can learn more about this incomprehensibly fantastic destiny by reading the free booklet What Is Your Destiny?

- About the Author -

Amanda Stiver is a Vertical Thought staff member and freelance writer and editor from Columbus, Ohio.

It had been 12 years since I last stepped foot in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania at Heritage Reservation. Both everything and nothing had changed.

The more things change…

The concept of the camp was still the same: For one week of camping in the wilderness, create “the Zone”—an atmosphere of infectious positivity, replete with encouragement, inclusiveness and godliness, and devoid of negativity, backbiting and divisiveness. As a staff member, carry the responsibility of caring and providing guidance for the campers who file through your activity or your campsite. As a camper, bring a positive attitude and a willingness to engage in the Zone.

Some physical aspects were also still the same:

• The site is still huge and easy to get lost in.
• You’re still surrounded by wild animals and the beauty of God’s creation.
• And, yes, the tents are still known to leak!

Even some faces were the same: Roughly a half dozen other staff members had served with me 12 years ago. I had also met a handful of other staff members and campers prior to camp through other activities.

Several activities had changed, however. And I had approximately 175 campers and staff members to get to know. In one week.

Getting wisdom

Since I would be mentoring and interacting daily with campers ranging in age from 12 to 19, I decided to make my Bible study for the week focus on a book of wisdom.

Each time I read the book of Proverbs, I come away with something new. It’s not just a book of random musings with little food for thought. Rather, the more I study it, the more I find valuable, timeless advice for individuals of all ages. I can safely say I haven’t yet gleaned everything I can out of the book jam-packed with excellent advice from King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived.

But one proverb in particular jumped out at me during my study: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly” (Proverbs 18:24).

An exercise in friendliness

Obviously this principle applies to women as well as men, and I took it to heart for the week. Beginning with the first church service, I began introducing myself to people I’d never met before. Not exactly an easy task for an introvert like me! But it paid off.

Within a couple days, I began to feel like a natural and welcome addition to the group. The biggest compliment I received was when a young lady came to my activity station one evening, seeking me out for a chat. A friendship was born—one that I hope will last for years to come.

As the week continued, I learned more names and was thrilled when greeted with a cheery “Hello, Mrs. Pennington!” to be able to reply, “Good morning, Brittany! How’s the ankle today?”

Laying a foundation

Did these interactions immediately create cemented-in-stone, deeper-than-deep, epiphany-creating, unshakable friendships? No, of course not. But the foundations are there, providing opportunity for greater, deeper friendships to develop naturally in time. As one of my friends puts it, “It’s an investment in eternity.”

After all, the rest of the proverb reveals, “but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Those kinds of friendships take time and energy to develop. And they’re well worth the effort, no matter how or where a friendship begins. To learn more friendship wisdom, read “You Can Pick Your Friends.”

- About the Author -

Debbie lives with her husband, Guye, in northern Illinois. She is a proofreader of various publications of the United Church of God.

Sizing up the universe

When being taught about the supposed origins of the universe, we were also taught about the size of it and the things within it. Nobody can say for certain how large the universe is, but scientists currently estimate it to be at least 30 billion light years across. A light year measures the vast distance that light will travel in a year.

It can be very easy to hear statements such as “the earth is approximately 150,000,000 kilometers from the sun”or”the nearest star to earth (Proxima Centauri) is 38,000,000,000,000 kilometers away,” and give it little thought. Realistically, numbers of this size mean little to the human mind.

Equally, numbers on a small scale also mean little to us. Can you really comprehend how small an atom is? It is 0.000000001 meter across, and subatomic particles are even smaller!

God measures the universe

Just from these few examples we can see that the size of the universe and the things within it are incredible! We can’t even comprehend the units needed to measure most of the things within it.

Yet God can comprehend them, because He designed everything from the smallest to the greatest. King David writes that “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).

The heavens are something we can admire, but they are not something we can come close to fully understanding.

The biggest known star in our galaxy is VY Canis Majoris and is estimated to be 1,800 times bigger than our sun. That means if the earth were to be represented by a little marble 1 centimeter across, our sun would be a large ball 109 centimeters across and VY Canis Majoris would be a huge sphere 1.9 kilometers across! The size of this star is truly amazing to us, but there are billions of stars in the universe, and “He [God] counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name” (Psalm 147:4).

You are like a star

God knows every star so well that He names them. But God, who is so powerful that He created a universe so vast and complex we can only see the merest fraction of it, also cares about each one of us.

King David was clearly struck by the wonder of the creation as well. He could see the stars in the sky and the wonders of nature around him and was driven to ask, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4).

Humankind and human life is precious to God. He knows each star by name just as He knows each of us by name. He knows you so well that “the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30).

We were all created for a purpose, and the power and majesty of He who created us can be seen around us in His vast, wondrous creation. If you would like to learn more about your purpose in life, then why not request or download a free copy of our booklet What Is Your Destiny? VT

- About the Author -

David Elliott works as an insurance claims consultant in London, United Kingdom, where he resides with his wife. He attends the London congregation of the United Church of God.