Book Review - Trust in the Lord by Deen Kemsley

Refreshing Reflections on the Cross

"Trust in the Lord" is written for those hungry to contemplate and reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus and His great love, to see fullness replace emptiness and harmony replace loneliness. Deen Kemsley captures the heart of Christ's own thoughts as he reflects and shares intimate experiences of his own spiritual journey.

Deem invites the reader to become familiar with the Savior at the cross to receive a new vision of who Jesus is, to know Him. He writes from his own personal experiences as well as from the experiences of others to illustrate the a walk with Christ to the Cross. He explains underlying truths and foundation of the Christian faith. He reminds the reader of the undeserved but limitless miracle of God's love demonstrated on the Cross of Calvary. He explains how this love produces joy in times of difficulty, affliction, and frustration. These moving illustrations draw the reader into an eager search for a fresh encounter with the Lord Jesus.

I recognized a need for personal to revival, and recognized my own helplessness, without the redemption provided through Christ's death on the cross. I am eager to experience an enrichment of God's presence in my life as he works to reestablish wholeness in my life.

Deem Kemsley's writing resonates with uplifting encouragement, inspiring challenge, and amazing insight. The book challenges the readers to a fresh genuineness in for their search to fulfill their deepest, truest potential.

As reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Book Store Owner

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A Cashless Society and the Mark of the Beast

It was recently announced that cash will no longer be accepted on the London Bus system and the use of plastic cards, which can be preloaded with credit, will be insisted upon. This follows on from a similar announcement in Kenya where public transport will also go cashless and switch to an electronic payment system.  

The move towards cashless transactions is very much an increasing trend and governments throughout the world are pushing the idea of a “cashless society” i.e. a world where all payments are made electronically. Obviously, proper records will have to be kept and these will have to be readily available to all those concerned. Important and powerful, global organizations including the UN are involved but developments along these lines could have massive implications for individual freedom and privacy.

Supporters point to an obvious reduction in overheads by removing the need to produce/secure physical cash along with possible reduction in tax evasion, armed robbery and black market fraud. Critics are wary of governments operating in a George Orwell inspired world and being able to monitor every item of economic activity.  The NSA snooping story adds weight to these claims  

The debate continues but  some governments e.g. UK and Kenya are already working hard to reduce  the reliance on cash. The end objective, which may be years down the line, can only be an eventual end to all cash transactions and a world economy based digital commerce.

It has been portrayed as a natural progression and an example was a CNN feature on 2/7/14 called “The Evolution of a Cashless Society,”  which described the progress made by various countries. The eventual introduction of a cashless society was presented as inevitable and apparently the United States is at a “tipping point” while Canada, Belgium, France, Sweden, and others are “almost cashless.” Other countries are either at the “inception” or “transitioning.” 

In reality, the “trends” are not happening naturally and big business is playing a major role. Governments are driving the cashless society developments with taxpayers money and well funded foundations are joining in to build support. For example, in September 2012 the Ford Foundation, launched the "Better Than Cash Alliance" which describes  itself as a partnership "to empower people by shifting from cash to electronic payments." The partners include big business representatives like Visa and Citibank as well as the UN 

Maybe the move towards a cashless society is a natural progresssion or part of evolution but the arguments against are not being heard. If the trend continues, it seems that all transactions will eventually take place electronically and the need for cash will be eliminated but will the technology always work? Will we need a card for the bus, a card for the train and one for each store or will a universal payment system be developed? What if the card is mislaid?

Various systems are in development and a system using a mobile phone to make payments has been used successfully. Again a mobile phone can be mislaid and what happens then?
Mobile phones are routinely used as tracking devices and an increase in their use can only make it more widespread

Some organisations have advocated the use of a human micro-chip with the eventual goal of each person having a device inserted under the skin and able to use it to provide identification and to make electronic payments. 

Maybe this is the path we'll follow but there is massive potential for making mischief. Do we really want to give the government the ability to track every move we make? In a cashless society, a political opponent could be removed from the economy and wouldn't be able to buy food. A power cut would cause absolute chaos

It might be a the fulfilment of prophesy because Revelations 13:17 reads 

“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,”

Paul M Williams

Financial Costs Related To Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is one of the most debated topics in the world. Human rights groups and several other opponents constantly question how another human being's life can be taken in the name of justice. Several of these also claim that capital punishment incurs a lot of expenses, which is borne by taxpayers. While the execution itself is not expensive, there are several other costs that are incurred by the administration when a convicted criminal is sitting on death row.

Trial Cost 
Due to the requirements laid down by the US Supreme Court, cases where the capital punishment is sought are often more expensive when compared to cases where the death penalty is not sought. All potential jury members have to be painstakingly questioned about their views on the death penalty. During the course of this questioning, which takes a few days, there are additional costs associated with paying the prosecutors, court staff defense lawyers and the presiding judge. Jury selection can be a long drawn process in capital punishment cases if the opposing lawyers are unhappy with the jury panel selection.

Furthermore, the defendant is allowed to bring in experts and character witnesses. The testimonies of these experts and witnesses are important, as it could help the defendant beat the death penalty and get a lesser sentence. So, this also adds burden to the trial cost.

Appealing 
If a person is sentenced to death, he/she can appeal the sentence. This means that more costs are incurred due to the long appealing process. The average length of a appeal process in case of capital punishment is around 15 to 20 years. The Urban Institute's study revealed that due to long appeal process, in the state of Maryland, state prosecutors spend $1.9 million more to get death penalty in a case compared to a case where the punishment is incarceration in prison.

Incarceration Costs 
During the time that a death row inmate is appealing his/her sentence, incarceration is mandatory. This increases the basic cost of housing the prisoner in a prison. Furthermore, prisoners on death row are more likely to harm themselves or others, and hence, they are housed in a separate prison compared to the general population in the prison. This also costs additional expenditure, which is borne by the state.

Conclusion 
Costs associated with capital punishment are immense and at times because of this, many state governments prefer abolishing death penalty, as incurring this expense could adversely affect other law enforcement measures. In fact, the money spent on capital punishment cases could be better utilized to improve the general law and order situation in a state.

Kum Martin is an online leading expert in laws. He also offers top quality articles like:
Capital Punishment Pros, 
Capital Punishment History

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Capital Punishment - Barbaric or Appropriate?

There was a time when capital punishment was the accepted form of punishment in relation to a multitude of crimes. An alternate punishment was not open to discussion because the death penalty was the method considered most responsible for providing a deterrent for others who may have considered similar crimes.

However, over the last several decades most European countries have left capital punishment behind. Today these countries and many others embrace a punishment that includes life behind bars, but does not subject violent criminals to the death penalty. In North America it is Canada and Mexico that have moved away from capital punishment while America remains tied to a state determined form of the death penalty.

Many Asian and Arab countries also hold onto the idea that the death penalty can be useful as a punishment against crimes such as murder. In America there remains strong support for the death penalty. The truth is while there is considerable support for capital punishment there is also a widening gap among those who would like to see exceptions made under certain circumstances while others resist any exceptions.

One compelling argument stems from the idea that justice can't always be served if the convicted is dead. The premise is essentially that there may likely be individuals who have been subjected to the death penalty that were innocent. If there were some new forensic technology that could prove someone's innocence a few years from now why would we consider the use of the death penalty?

If we look at it purely from the standpoint of other civilized countries we may be inclined to determine that the death penalty is a barbaric form of justice that does not need to be used in the 21st century.

Even among those who espouse Christianity as their religion of choice there is deep division over the use of capital punishment. Some believe the idea is in conflict with a God who is referred to as 'love'. Others view capital punishment as a way to enhance the countries ability to maintain a more civil society. In ancient times capital punishment was often used by new leaders to execute those who had been in opposition to their newly established rule. This was often normal for a new ruler who wanted to be assured the people would respond well to the new reign.

However, in present times the debate over the death penalty centers around the individual who will be put to death for violent crimes. While the issue tends to center around the convicted some would argue that it is the victim that is most often forgotten. It has been said, "The victim had no choice in how they were treated, so why does the convicted seem to receive special treatment?"

Numerous stories are available that follow perpetrators of violent crimes who revisit those offenses when released on parole. Those who are for the death penalty see this as a validation of their argument.

The role of capital punishment as a deterrent finds those who are emotional on either side of the argument. There are those who believe the individual can be rehabilitated while others believe this is a weak form of justice that could lead to deadly consequences in the end.

Discuss Capital Punishment [http://www.controversialforums.com/Capital-Punishment.php] and the Death Penalty [http://www.controversialforums.com/Capital-Punishment.php] at Controversial Forums in our Debate Forums [http://www.controversialforums.com].

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