NOTES OF INTEREST
BE ON GUARD about opening e-mail attach-ments which are forwarded from some source by well-meaning friends, and never open attachments from unknown people. To avoid SPAM on computers I noticed on one web
site they tell their visitors to only post their
e-mail address with AT instead of @, and ad-vise those who wish to contact them to change it to @ before mailing. That might work for a private and personal e-mail
address to friends. This way may block a spyware search machine from gathering addresses for mass mailings. It requires a human to read and make the change, which
is not the way advertisements and bulk mailings are done. Interesting thought.
- RLD
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FREE P.C. PROTECTION
The following free services can be added to a personal computer (PC), and are three services most needed on every PC:
- Antivirus: www.avast.com (free 4.7 version
AVAST)
- Firewall: www.zonelabs.com (free from
Zone Alarm)
- Antispyware: www.microsoft.com (free
windows defender - Beta 2; also see the
Spybot web site.)
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E-MAIL HOAXES are often sent by well- meaning friends, telling some fantastic story
or quite believable event, and it turns out to
be a hoax. One would do well to go to the web site: www.snopes.com and check with them about the story to see if it is true. Christians should not be in a hurry to "broad-cast" a story to others if they are not sure of it. It may also be a means to allow spyware into the computer to target one for adver-tisements.
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An address listing "real people" has been put out by the DELL company to find people in various companies. This may help in con- tacting a helpful source instead of a recording or some "Customer Service" representative from another country. Check the site at
www.gethuman.com.
Correspondence About Career Choices
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT SERVICE
1//07
Dear_____________:
Regarding your thoughts, I do not know what J. N. Darby said
about military service, but I suppose he would have discouraged it,
as I would. It does not appear suitable for a child of God.
Let me just speak generally about that. There is both enlistment
and the draft to consider. We don't presently use a draft in this
country, so it remains only a choice. I do not think the military is
a good choice for a professing Christian, and neither is police work,
for they both put a professing Christian into a compromising
situation where they must use violence in the course of their work,
and may need to take away a life. Consider the dove (Matt.10:16). There are also a number of other careers where a Christian might find themselves in defiling situations and using unacceptable means to deal with problems. One ought to discern this, seek after holiness, and choose to honor God in their career choices. If a young person is not a Christian and is looking to the military to learn a trade or get college benefits, that might seem a good choice to him, but his Christian parents ought to try to dissuade him to reach his goals otherwise. There are other good options.
The military service is a necessary part of any government, and
as long as there are young men willing to participate in it a draft
is not needed. If there is a draft, a Christian may be called to go,
but they can usually select a non-violent place to meet their
requirement to serve, such as medical or food services.
Now, having said this, I must also add that we can be thankful
that God has ordained government for mankind that there be order
in this sinful world. God will also preserve and bless a government
that seeks to acknowledge and honor Him, as we can see world-
wide and in the Word of God. A true child of God is called out of the world's way, but needs to be subject to governments and not oppose them, and trust God to care for His saints. Believers in Christ are not of this world, though they are yet here a little while. This all speaks of a people who have a spiritual new birth and are called unto holiness. The world has different values.
The Holy Scripture makes a distinction between the world and
God's way for a child of God. "Turning the other cheek", as God
enjoins His children, is hardly the way the world would respond to
offenses. God sets forth a different path for His own (see Luke
20:24-25; Rom.13; etc.). We are to be subject to governments,
and though God does not give us a mandate for our course, He
sets forth His standards for a faithful one to receive. We are not
under divine ordinance, but grace. It is a matter of individual
conscience.
I do not see a problem with government employment, for there
are positions there which are honorable (see Phil.4:22). This does
not include political careers. We just need to avoid legalism in
all this, and counsel saints of God to walk circumspectly in a
godly way; and "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,
and not unto men" (Col.3:23).
I hope these few thoughts will be of some help. Look up always!
- Sincerely in Christ, Robert DeWitt
