- #1) You receive $100 each day from the day you are born, until the day you become an adult
- #2) You receive $1,000,000 when you enter Kindergarten
- #3) You receive $.01 (one cent) the first day ...the amount you receive the second day is doubled from the first day, amounting to $.02 (two cents) ...the amount you receive the third day is doubled from the amount you received from the second day, amounting to $.04 (four cents) ...you receive $.08 (eight cents) on the fourth day ...and it keeps doubling for the entire month of your birthday (but for only that one month).
So, which one would you choose?
Let me make a few clarifications, that are not tricks. An adult will be defined as 18 years of age ...in scenario #1. In scenario #3, the month you were born in can vary from 28 or 29 days for February ...and either 30 or 31 days if you were born in any other month. For scenario #2, a few years ago if you received a million dollars in Kindergarten, with compounded interest that would double by the time you reached adulthood ...but we are going to consider today's interest rates, which should barely affect it. And we are not considering other possible risky investments ...especially for a Kindergarten student.
With scenario #1, that seems like a lot of money for a youngster, but if I were to get $100 each day for my family, I would be just above the poverty line. So, let's make some changes:
I wouldn't want to trick anyone, or take anyone's money ...and I don't think my dad would either, but this is something that happened to Dad:
Dad was working outside several years ago, when a gentleman stopped by. The gentleman tried to tell Dad that the world was going to end ...and further tried to convince him that the end was near ...real near. Dad said he was busy planting his garden, but the gentleman could return the day before he expected the world to end ...with deeds to his car, his house, and all his property---to sign over to my dad. The gentleman said he could not do that, and I suppose my dad felt the seeds the gentleman was sowing lacked in sincerity.
I admit that there is lacking, often times, in what I believe. But, if I could convince some of you of my sincerity ...I would.
How many of you could I convince? Would it be a half dozen, maybe a dozen? I don't even know how many of you are listening, or are reading this ...how about if I can convince a third of you? Wow, even if from the half dozen ...that would be two ...and from a dozen, that would be four!! What if I were to consider that same percentage of all of our population ...let me see, out of the entire population of our earth, that would be a staggering two & a half billion.
It must have been a (I will refrain from the word 'staggering', as I don't want it to appear as drunken) ...an innumerable amount, that followed Lucifer. His argument must have been that it would be much more to their liking to follow him, instead of God. Lucifer wanted to exalt himself 'above' God, and be 'like' God. He must have thought, and convinced others, that the qualification for being 'like' God ...would be to be 'above' God. He wanted to take God's place of being the Most High.
But, God created other 'beings', who were to be in God's 'likeness'. And statistics say that the majority of the people believe this ...at least, that was the way it used to be in the United States of America, originally founded upon the truths of those principles. The statistics are still high for our country ...but, I wonder if they are within the majority any longer. Yes, Lucifer convinced one third ...and that is very successful convincing, but he is doing an even more effective job with us.
How is that, you may ask? Well, we don't need a calculator to figure this one out. He simply understands that he doesn't need to get us to follow him ...he merely needs to get us not to follow who we need to follow. And that can be achieved by sowing seeds of doubt.
I was just reading something in the Bible that didn't seem right. I could choose to believe the Bible is in error, or that perhaps I was in error in interpreting it. It appeared difficult to deny what I read, but I wanted to quickly clear it up.
That was my first mistake ...going to this computer to find cross-references, mixed with commentaries on the subject. I should not have chosen quickly over correctly.
As it was, I did get around to referencing the exhaustive Concordance that we have that lists the original meaning from the Greek and Hebrew words ...to help clear up the translation I was reading in English. It is not the fault of the translators if we don't research it ...without the Bible written in English, I would not be able to read it at all.
And part of the confusion of the English, is that we have a certain amount of fear in trying to think on our own ...which is in some ways good. We shouldn't try to come up with our own interpretation, but strive to understand God ...therefore, not thinking on our own, but thinking as God would have us think.
But, it would also appear that God would have us also temper our thinking with the depth of bold, yet humble understanding. With this wisdom we should realize that the translator that lived over 400 years ago is not responsible for our own failures in careless reading, or lack of looking into its meaning. I may find it also logical that 400 years from now, someone may not understand something I wrote ...as I myself may not always understand, from one day to the next. But, we should be able to understand what God had people write, not about themselves, but about He who does not change day-to-day.
Someone who doesn't believe the Bible is true ...does that mean that they believe God is someone different than the very thoroughly described Person we read about in the Bible?
I've read the Bible, and recently, on the History Channel, on Sunday evenings, is a miniseries program entitled, The Bible, ...which is another venue for interpretation. I have long understood the sometimes violent struggle between good and evil ...but I also attempt to read as the Holy Spirit would lead me to read. I see missing in the Miniseries ...the very hearts of many of the characters, of which are clearly portrayed in the Bible. I don't think I want to see the part where they are going to portray Jesus ...as from what I've seen so far, it will be of questionable promise.
Yes, doubt ...deception ...and saturation of untruths. With all the contamination, how can we find anything fit to swallow? It seems like there is so much working to taint the truth, who can stand to show us what pure truth is? Well, Jesus did ...and it is quite clearly written that He wants us to help spread it. The opposition is the same as it always has been ...the difference is, that when the angels chose who they wanted to follow, the decision was final. With us it is different ...we get chances, over and over again. What would we rather?
Yes, what would we rather? To have clearly seen God in His glory, and make a single choice, or to live within an ever increasing mass confusion of doubt and deception with choices as innumerable as every breath we take? The angels had scenario #1, and we were placed in scenario #2 ...we can't decide upon a different scenario, but we do get to choose within it. And as breath still exists, we can call out to Jesus. I used to be puzzled by why He may say to some, "I never knew you ..."
But, I am even more confused by why anyone who would claim to know Him would promote such extremes so contrary to the claim. So, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether we know Him? Jesus does make a point of favorably grouping those who do not deny the will of His Father.
So, yes, what would we rather? Some look boldly at life and say, "Bring it on!" But, it's not what life brings to us ...it's what understanding we bring to life, or 'Who' brought us, and bought us ---paying the debt, He who brings life ...eternal.
So, how many have I convinced? If it is only one of you ...that is still one life of immeasurable worth.
With scenario #1, that seems like a lot of money for a youngster, but if I were to get $100 each day for my family, I would be just above the poverty line. So, let's make some changes:
- #1) Change it to $1,000 each day
- #2) Change it to $7,000,000
- #3) Keep the same condition as stated earlier
Would you now change your choice? What do you think the person in scenario #3 thinks, when after the first week, only 64 cents is received, totally $1.27? Do you think person #3 would want to switch to one of the other scenarios, after one third of the month is gone and only receiving $3.12, totally only $8.23? With three weeks gone by, person #3 has made much less than half of what person #1 makes in only one month of 18 long years.
I wouldn't want to trick anyone, or take anyone's money ...and I don't think my dad would either, but this is something that happened to Dad:
Dad was working outside several years ago, when a gentleman stopped by. The gentleman tried to tell Dad that the world was going to end ...and further tried to convince him that the end was near ...real near. Dad said he was busy planting his garden, but the gentleman could return the day before he expected the world to end ...with deeds to his car, his house, and all his property---to sign over to my dad. The gentleman said he could not do that, and I suppose my dad felt the seeds the gentleman was sowing lacked in sincerity.
I admit that there is lacking, often times, in what I believe. But, if I could convince some of you of my sincerity ...I would.
How many of you could I convince? Would it be a half dozen, maybe a dozen? I don't even know how many of you are listening, or are reading this ...how about if I can convince a third of you? Wow, even if from the half dozen ...that would be two ...and from a dozen, that would be four!! What if I were to consider that same percentage of all of our population ...let me see, out of the entire population of our earth, that would be a staggering two & a half billion.
It must have been a (I will refrain from the word 'staggering', as I don't want it to appear as drunken) ...an innumerable amount, that followed Lucifer. His argument must have been that it would be much more to their liking to follow him, instead of God. Lucifer wanted to exalt himself 'above' God, and be 'like' God. He must have thought, and convinced others, that the qualification for being 'like' God ...would be to be 'above' God. He wanted to take God's place of being the Most High.
But, God created other 'beings', who were to be in God's 'likeness'. And statistics say that the majority of the people believe this ...at least, that was the way it used to be in the United States of America, originally founded upon the truths of those principles. The statistics are still high for our country ...but, I wonder if they are within the majority any longer. Yes, Lucifer convinced one third ...and that is very successful convincing, but he is doing an even more effective job with us.
How is that, you may ask? Well, we don't need a calculator to figure this one out. He simply understands that he doesn't need to get us to follow him ...he merely needs to get us not to follow who we need to follow. And that can be achieved by sowing seeds of doubt.
I was just reading something in the Bible that didn't seem right. I could choose to believe the Bible is in error, or that perhaps I was in error in interpreting it. It appeared difficult to deny what I read, but I wanted to quickly clear it up.
That was my first mistake ...going to this computer to find cross-references, mixed with commentaries on the subject. I should not have chosen quickly over correctly.
As it was, I did get around to referencing the exhaustive Concordance that we have that lists the original meaning from the Greek and Hebrew words ...to help clear up the translation I was reading in English. It is not the fault of the translators if we don't research it ...without the Bible written in English, I would not be able to read it at all.
And part of the confusion of the English, is that we have a certain amount of fear in trying to think on our own ...which is in some ways good. We shouldn't try to come up with our own interpretation, but strive to understand God ...therefore, not thinking on our own, but thinking as God would have us think.
But, it would also appear that God would have us also temper our thinking with the depth of bold, yet humble understanding. With this wisdom we should realize that the translator that lived over 400 years ago is not responsible for our own failures in careless reading, or lack of looking into its meaning. I may find it also logical that 400 years from now, someone may not understand something I wrote ...as I myself may not always understand, from one day to the next. But, we should be able to understand what God had people write, not about themselves, but about He who does not change day-to-day.
Someone who doesn't believe the Bible is true ...does that mean that they believe God is someone different than the very thoroughly described Person we read about in the Bible?
I've read the Bible, and recently, on the History Channel, on Sunday evenings, is a miniseries program entitled, The Bible, ...which is another venue for interpretation. I have long understood the sometimes violent struggle between good and evil ...but I also attempt to read as the Holy Spirit would lead me to read. I see missing in the Miniseries ...the very hearts of many of the characters, of which are clearly portrayed in the Bible. I don't think I want to see the part where they are going to portray Jesus ...as from what I've seen so far, it will be of questionable promise.
Yes, doubt ...deception ...and saturation of untruths. With all the contamination, how can we find anything fit to swallow? It seems like there is so much working to taint the truth, who can stand to show us what pure truth is? Well, Jesus did ...and it is quite clearly written that He wants us to help spread it. The opposition is the same as it always has been ...the difference is, that when the angels chose who they wanted to follow, the decision was final. With us it is different ...we get chances, over and over again. What would we rather?
Yes, what would we rather? To have clearly seen God in His glory, and make a single choice, or to live within an ever increasing mass confusion of doubt and deception with choices as innumerable as every breath we take? The angels had scenario #1, and we were placed in scenario #2 ...we can't decide upon a different scenario, but we do get to choose within it. And as breath still exists, we can call out to Jesus. I used to be puzzled by why He may say to some, "I never knew you ..."
But, I am even more confused by why anyone who would claim to know Him would promote such extremes so contrary to the claim. So, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether we know Him? Jesus does make a point of favorably grouping those who do not deny the will of His Father.
So, yes, what would we rather? Some look boldly at life and say, "Bring it on!" But, it's not what life brings to us ...it's what understanding we bring to life, or 'Who' brought us, and bought us ---paying the debt, He who brings life ...eternal.
So, how many have I convinced? If it is only one of you ...that is still one life of immeasurable worth.
With that we have a wealth of understanding, immeasurable. Nothing else compares to figuring that out. But, since I was figuring, and giving our children a school lesson along with it, I will give the rather unimportant answers to the other three scenarios:
- #1) The amount from $1,000 each day from birth to 18 years of age is: $6,570,000
- #2) The amount of $7,000,000 is what it is.
- #3) The accumulation of money beginning with a penny the first day, with each successive day doubling the amount given the previous day ...and continuing this for just one month, amounts to the accumulation of about 13 million dollars on the 30th day, give or take $98,831.47 ---okay, take it. (But if your birthday is in February, and that year it is 28 days ---it then amounts to $3,274,560.11 & if 29 days are in February that year ---it then amounts to $6,549,317.23)
I figured I had to make that clear, as I began with that ...but, what I wanted to make even more clear is our total bankruptcy without Jesus ...and ultimately total destruction. That may not be ending it on a happy note ...but you can. I am not responsible for your ending. You can put it all in the hands of the One who had His pierced with nails ...or if you don't, if only by default, you are with Lucifer, who after he is loosed for the last time, is defeated.
Don't be defeated with him. Have a happier ending ...which doesn't end, but has everlasting life!!!
