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Jud 1:3-16 ESV Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (4) For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (5) Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. (6) And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day– (7) just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. (8) Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. (9) But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." (10) But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. (11) Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. (12) These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; water-less clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; (13) wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. (14) It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, (15) to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (16) These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
We talk a lot today about false teaching and how the Church has strayed so far from the truth of the gospel. Yet as the letter of Jude shows us this began very early in the Church, we find that there was such a problem that instead of talking about that which was the way, Jude felt the Spirit leading in a different direction. The direction that the Spirit wants him to take is to show the necessity to contend for the faith "once for all delivered to the saints."
What is the truth he is speaking of? It is that which we find enshrined in our Old and New Testament books. We have all the doctrine that God has for us to know, and to follow, if someone says he or she has received a new revelation from God, they are lying, there is no new revelation from God. Jude will go on to explain what he means, in that the truth was delivered to us through Jesus Christ, and the Apostles who established the church throughout the world of that day. There are many who take what the scriptures say and twist it to fit the way of the world, instead of the Kingdom of God.
The Bible tells us that the Devil is the Liar in Chief, he is the leading deceit deliverer to the world. The devil knows the scriptures and knows how to twist them to his own benefit. Where we see that the gospel delivers us to freedom from sin, false teachers will use it to say that we are free indeed to practice any thing we want. We are free from sin so we can sin all the more. That teaching was prevalent then and it is so today, God's people need to stand against this deceit.
Jude 1:4 tells us that those who tell these lies will have to pay the price for their lies and sinfulness in lying to people. The gospel makes it clear, Jesus chastised the Scribes and Pharisees for being false teachers, and the scripture tells us that those who are leaders in the church that are also deceivers will pay the price as well. There is only one Lord and God, Jesus the Christ is the one who saves and sets free, free to live as God intended us to live. It is our duty to stand for the truth, no matter who we must stand against. If what a teacher, preacher or other leader in the church tells you something that disagrees with the scriptures, stand against that teaching.
I went to a conference of the United Methodist Church one year, the discipline of the United Methodist Church states clearly that they are to abstain from alcohol because of its negative impact on morality.
As we were enjoying our lunch in a restaurant in Corpus Christi, I noted that at a table near Yvonne and I were a couple of the leaders of the Church, also eating lunch, they had a bottle of wine on the table and were enjoying their lunch and their drinks. Hypocrisy of course since they knew what the teaching was, and it was also taught in the scriptures. As the apostle Paul wrote in Eph 5:18 "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,". We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit and not with alcohol.
The point being we are to be like our Lord as much as we can, yes, Jesus drank wine, however, he did so in moderation. He expects us to act accordingly, staying sober, but filled with the Holy Spirit and working to keep ourselves in holiness as much as we can as sinful human beings.
In verse 5 Jude talks about those who rebelled against Moses and God in the wilderness after their escape from Egypt. In the book of Numbers 13 and 14 God acts against those who are rebelling and they are destroyed from the face of the earth. Those who pervert the word of God who rebel against God are slated to spend eternity in hell, those who strive to live in the way of God will instead reach the holy land, Heaven where they will live in the presence of God for eternity. Those who have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord, are destined to live in Heaven, those who reject Jesus Christ, will also live forever, in hell. Jude goes on to show what happened to all who flouted the way of life that God had set down from the beginning. Sodom and Gomorrah, and many others all who have or will pay the price for their rebellion against God. Beginning in verse 6 and going through verse 16 we see the litany of those who will suffer eternal damnation. It hurts me to see this nation of ours going the way of all of Europe, chasing after the lie that there are alternative ways of life when God has clearly said there is only one right way to live. Again the Apostle Paul wrote that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." He also says that "the wages of sin is death." All sin earns the same wage, whether it is telling a lie, or, cursing God, adultery or another sexual sin. Disrespecting your parents, or, perjuring yourself. Hell awaits those who blaspheme God, those who refuse to accept their need for a savior, God will not be mocked, he is in control.
Jud 1:17-23 ESV But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. (18) They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." (19) It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. (20) But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, (21) keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (22) And have mercy on those who doubt; (23) save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Jude now goes on telling us we must remember that there will be those who scoff at the gospel, working to serve the flesh instead of the maker of the flesh we live in. There are people who work hard to divide us, one against another, closing down any faithful group of people by finding and exploiting any weakness in our church. Remember that Satan is the great deceiver, and will work to exploit any weakness in our faith walk. Do not just listen to the Sunday message, read the verses for yourself, is the message true to the gospel or is it false? Study the word of God every day, even if just a short passage, just keep up diligent study to be sure you are able to answer the scoffer with the truth.
The question you must ask yourself is, "Who am I?" Am I truly the child of the King or am I a child of the devil. Do I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, that He died and was raised from the dead to bring me salvation for sin? Or do I believe the scoffers who say there is no God and this is the only life there is. Which one do you believe? If it is the scoffer, then you are destined to an eternity in Hell with Satan and all his minions. If you have believed that you are a child of the King, have confessed with your tongue that Jesus Christ is indeed the Savior and Lord, then Heaven awaits.
Jud 1:24-25 ESV Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, (25) to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Jude closes with a Doxology, a short piece that tells us exactly who Jesus Christ is and what happens to those who believe.
We find that Jesus is the only one who can keep us from stumbling, the only one who can present us blameless in heaven by the power of his blood spilled on the cross at Calvary by which we are saved for all eternity from sin and death. Then Jude goes on to show us that it is Jesus Christ, who is the only God and our Savior. God himself came and lived as a Jewish lad, lived a sinless life, and then gave his life an atonement for my sin and your sin. We are set free when we recognize that we are sinners and that Jesus died on that cross, to allow us to be reconciled to our Holy God. Also by his resurrection, we too are guaranteed resurrection one day to be with him in heaven.
Lift your voices in praise for the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who saves, and we are the ones in need of salvation.
Filed under: Church Stuff, Culture, God | Tags: Prayer, sin
In many churches across our land people will pray the "Lord's Prayer" and most of us will pray it by memory. We have recited this prayer for years in our churches, and it has become empty rote rather than a heartfelt prayer to our God. This prayer was Jesus' answer to the disciples request to teach them to pray.
Mat 6:9-13 NRSV "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (10) Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (13) And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
6:9 Our Father in heaven. Prayer should be addressed to God the Father in acknowledgment of His sovereignty over the universe. It is also to recognize that we are family, that God is our spiritual Father and therefore, notice that it is our rather than my Father. It is to be understood that God is first and foremost our sovereign, ruler of the Universe, but also a Father who is partial to the needs of His children. Next we recognize that God is in heaven, but also that he is Omnipresent, God is present everywhere and everywhen. He is always present for each of us and will hear our prayers and supplications, we acknowledge that He is in heaven and yet also with us for the Holy Spirit inhabits each of us. So God is always with us in everything we say and do. As it tells us in Psa 33:13-15 ESV The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; (14) from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, (15) he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
God knows us better than we know ourselves, he is with us through all the trials and joys of life, knowing what we need before we do. He is also ready to act as our Father to fill the needs of His children.
Next – Hallowed be Your name. We should begin our prayers with worship, ascribing praise and honor to Him who is so worthy of it. In other words, one who is above and separate from the earth, yet rules over it. One who is to be exalted and recognized as Holy. His name is to be revered, understanding His divinity and giving voice to His holiness. Not only in our speech but also in our thoughts and actions, doing all things to God's honor and glory.
6:10 Your kingdom come. After worship, we should pray for the advancement of God's cause, putting His interests first. Specifically, we should pray for the day when our Savior-God, the Lord Jesus Christ, will set up His kingdom on earth and reign in righteousness. Looking forward to the day when the Kingdom of Heaven shall be made manifest on the earth, the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Your will be done. In this petition we acknowledge that God knows what is best and that we surrender our will to His. It also expresses a longing to see His will acknowledged throughout the world. Why would we not want the will of God to be made manifest in the world, since we profess that God's will is just and that it is His will that brings infinite wisdom, holiness and goodness into our lives.
On earth as it is in heaven. This phrase modifies all three preceding petitions. The worship of God, the sovereign rule by God, and the performance of His will are all a reality of heaven. The prayer is that these conditions might exist on earth as they do in heaven. As we pray for God's will to be done on earth as in heaven, it means that we want the Kingdom to become a reality on earth, and that his will, which is our sanctification will happen so that our lives will reflect that which already happens in the heavenly realm. Truth be told our soul can never be truly pure until we are truly at one with God acting in concert with His will in our lives to evidence the kingdom.
6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. After putting God's interests first, we are permitted to present our own needs. This petition acknowledges our dependence on God for daily food, both spiritual and physical. This hearkens back to the Manna in the desert, when the Israelites were dependent upon God for their daily sustenance. Our God knows our needs and more than once I have known that God was taking care of our needs. We had a dinner once at a church that I served, and our folks were surprised at how many showed up for worship and the meal afterward. They were concerned that we did not have enough food, yet when the meal was over, there was still food left for folks to take home for the evening meal.
6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. This does not refer to judicial forgiveness from the penalty of sin (that forgiveness is obtained by faith in the Son of God). Rather this refers to the parental forgiveness that is necessary if fellowship with our Father is to be maintained. If believers are unwilling to forgive those who wrong them, how can they expect to be in fellowship with their Father who has freely forgiven them for their wrongdoings? We speak of the truth that we are under grace not under the law, but, the law is still there to remind us of what sin is and what God has never changed. When we look at sin we must acknowledge that our God has set the line across which we dare not go.
Even as forgiven and reconciled persons, we are still subject to sin and must repeatedly go before the throne of grace, asking for forgiveness because of having hurt God by our sin, and therefore having a broken heart ourselves. We have sinned against he who gave his human life for our sins, and that sin hurts our father in heaven and needs to be repented of. The other side of that coin is that we are to forgive one another because if I hurt you, and then realize that I have done so, I must repent and ask for your forgiveness. Peter asked how many times must he forgive a brother, thinking 7 times was enough, Jesus said 70 times 7.
6:13 And do not lead us into temptation. God does allow His people to be tested and tried. This petition expresses a healthy distrust of one's own ability to resist temptations or to stand up under trial. It acknowledges complete dependence on the Lord for preservation. We will from time to time be tempted, yet God always makes a way for escape. One of the most important things is that we spend time in His word, it gives us wisdom to work for God and to tell the devil to; as Jesus said to Peter, get thee behind me Satan. We must always remember that if what we think is right but it does not agree with what scripture teaches us about right and wrong, then we know not to allow ourselves to be trapped by that temptation.
But deliver us from the evil one. This is the prayer of all who desperately desire to be kept from sin by the power of God. It is the heart's cry for daily salvation from the power of sin and Satan in one's life.
This world will continually tempt us into sin, just look at the commercials on TV, always trying to get you buy this or that item so you will be seen to be the best guy on the block. I saw over and over again during the gift buying season, we call it Christmas, one person bought a set of reindeer to set in his yard. Of course it included Rudolph and his nose lit up. He also says he saved a couple of hundred dollars on the purchase. The neighbor says, yeah I bought something that lights up too, turns and hits the smart button and starts up his truck which of course lit the lights, and says I saved thousands.
We see other things too, that approach filth of another kind as well, all so that you will want to buy whatever they are selling. Then there is the lure of the lottery ticket, you can win millions, just buy a ticket. They neglect to tell you that your odds of winning are a few million to one. Remember folks, if you go to a casino to gamble, the odds always favor the house.
God has promised us life and that abundant, he did not promise that it would be without problems, just that he would never abandon nor forsake you. God goes with you in good and bad times, that is something that is guaranteed by his word. This prayer that we have just gone through is really not to be something you do by rote, it is an example of how to pray.
We in the church have made this prayer something that everyone learns by repeating every week, and it becomes rote, we know it by heart and we no longer know the meaning behind the words, we just repeat them each week. This however, is a teaching of Jesus, it shows us how to pray, and that is something we need to do on a regular basis. Prayer is a conversation with our Father in Heaven, we praise him and thank him for what he does and who he is and then present our needs to him, and admit that we understand that if we do not get along with our brothers and sisters in the family, we will of course seek reconciliation with them so that our sins against God can also be forgiven when we come to him for that forgiveness. Jesus taught that if we come to present our offering and yet have something wrong with a brother or sister in the faith, we are to go and make that right and then come to give our offering it means we are to be right with our brethren, before we can be right with our father.
We shall always recognize what sin is as we study the word of God. It is in the word that we learn what it is that is wrong (sinful) in His sight, lying, cheating, stealing, and murder, but also jealousy, hatred, perversions, shirking our duty to one another, to our job, and even lewd thought. So let us remember that this prayer shows us how to pray, how to speak with our God, learn from it as you go through your daily life, and spend time with God each and every day.
A good starting point for learning about prayer is to pray the psalms, these were used in worship, and sung or recited in worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Much of these are actually prayers of David and the sons of Korah and others.
There is also a wonderful book called all the prayers of the Bible.Take a look at how they prayed and what they prayed about. Here is a prayer of intercession that I think is indicative of the prayers that we ourselves should be involved in. This prayer is found in Gen 18:23-33.
Gen 18:23-33 ESV Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? (24) Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? (25) Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (26) And the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake." (27) Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. (28) Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." (29) Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." (30) Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." (31) He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." (32) Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." (33) And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
This is intercession, coming before God to intercede for others, Jesus taught that we are to intercede for those who are in need. Prayer for the sick, for the destitute, prayers for those who do not yet know the Lord.
Prayer for those we consider enemies to have their hearts and minds changed and renewed, prayers for revival or awakening. All are intercessory in nature. Spend time with God in prayer every day. You may want to watch a movie that is out right now called War Room. It is a powerful picture of what happens when you pray, first to get your own life in order, then for the stuff around you that also needs to be made right.
Filed under: Church Stuff, God | Tags: immorality, Islam, murder, Persecution
John 15:18-23 NKJV "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. (19) If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (20) Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (21) But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. (22) If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. (23) He who hates Me hates My Father also.
This series would not be complete without a truth that Jesus taught his disciples. That truth is that just because you have become a Christian person does not mean that all things will come to you and you will live a good life, with all that you need to be fulfilled in your person. I know that the scriptures say that all things work to good for those who love the Lord and that is true, but, this teaching in the gospel of John is also truth. You only have to look to the middle east to see that Christians are being persecuted for their faith by the radical Muslim group ISIS. However they are not the only ones who persecute Christians.
Looking at the United States, we find that there is much trouble for Christians here at home, we are told that we must support homosexual marriage, that we must agree with abortion on demand, and allow for other sexual sins as being just another type of life style. This includes man with boys as well as adultery, and the change in morality that says that a person in power can have sex with an employee and it is acceptable. Teachers with students or a President with an intern.
Of course none of this can hold a candle to the darkness that is engulfing the rest of the world. In Europe, we see Christians and Jews being told that they cannot say anything wrong about Muslims, we see the Muslim attacks in Paris, and London, Brussels and Germany on New Years Eve, as hundreds of women were assaulted by Muslim men. Some were raped, some were groped, and the governments in the towns where these things happened hid the truth from the public.
Then there is the middle east where the city of Mosul, which had a Christian presence from the very beginning, around 100 CE, and there are now no more Christians in that city. They either escaped, or were murdered by the adherents of Islam under ISIS. They were told to convert to Islam, leave or die, there is no other choice.
On December 14, 2015 Kathryn Jean Lopez wrote an article in National Review titled "See and Name the Genocide" In the article she quotes from Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus who testified before congress in regard to Iraqi and Syrian Christian refugees from ISIS. He said: "Fear of being slaughtered or enslaved for their faith prevents them from returning home." "Like the Jews in Nazi Germany, these Christians are escaping genocide. They are being specifically targeted because they put their faith in Jesus Christ."
Returning to our own nation, I have to make note of the fact that the Obama administration has accepted Muslim refugees, but has sent Christian refugees back to their home countries, to face the terror of extermination. In that context you can say that Christians are no longer welcome in the United States either.
In the past year we have witnessed horrific killings in Islamic held territories. Christian men have been burned to death, had their heads cut off, been drowned and of course shot to death. In Egypt, during the time when the Muslim Brotherhood was in charge, we witnessed actual crucifixions of Christians in the middle of Cairo. All of this violence has been practiced against a people of who try to live by loving each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are told that the suicide bombers of Islamic radical groups, are martyrs of their faith, true martyrdom however comes when you are confronted with the threat of death unless you convert to Islam. If you refuse to give up your faith in Christ, your throat is cut. Yet thousands have refused to give up Jesus Christ for Allah or Muhammad.
So, Jesus said that persecution would come to those who followed his way and it is for sure coming to pass in this day and time. Here in America, we are told we may not pray in the name of Jesus if we are going to be chaplains. The prayers in the Chaplains book for the American Legion do not use the name of Jesus, on military bases there are now sacred groves for the use of pagans and witches. There is even a movement afoot now to have atheist chaplains, a bit of an oxymoron in my book, but there it is. There have been children expelled from school, not for using curse words, for acting badly, but for wearing a Christian tee shirt, or refusing to remove a cross.
Prayer of course is strictly banned in many schools across the country, and there are schools where they make the children wear Muslim garb and recite the pillars of Islam, and pray to Allah. If they were forced to pray to Jesus it would bring cries of outrage, but to Allah not so much. We will have to go a bit further to see true persecution, that will come though it is only a matter of time.
Jesus also taught the disciples this:
Mat 5:10-12 NKJV Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. (12) Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Persecution is coming to our nation, whether we realize it or not, we who follow Jesus Christ, are out of step with our society. We believe that there is a moral code to be followed, that sin leads to hell for all eternity, and that following Jesus leads to eternal life in heaven. There are real penalties associated with sinful living, hell being the end result. Will we Christians live abundant lives? Depends on what you know about abundance, for me, it is a resounding YES! Not because I will be rich or famous, but I will come face to face with my savior and Lord one day. I know that my Lord walks with me through all the stuff that life throws at me. I have a wife who loves me, brothers and sisters (in the Lord) who I love and who love me as well, because Jesus loved us all enough to die for us, to pay our price for our sins. He also sealed the deal when he rose from the dead to show us that we too would one day rise with him into eternity.
I have an abundance of love in my life and that gives me all the riches I could possibly want in this life. I know that my redeemer lives, and that my future is secure in Jesus Christ, fully Man and fully God.
Filed under: Church Stuff, God | Tags: Christians, Salvation, Wrath of God
John Wesley spoke about those who wanted to "Flee the wrath" to come. Those were the folks he wanted to bring into the Methodist Societies. These were people who knew the words of the Bible, they had heard preaching, they just did not believe it was for them. Of course there was a time when Wesley didn't believe it either, not until his Aldersgate experience, when he became convinced that Christ had died for his sins did Wesley actually understand what faith was. It was then that he began to put together the idea that all needed to understand that the wrath of God was a terrible thing.
In the reading this morning in Numbers, we hear how the faith of the people of Israel had diminished to such a point that they were complaining about even the fact that God was providing their daily nourishment. Numbers 21:5 tells us: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." (NKJV)
The people of God forgot who they were, they forgot that without God they would indeed have died in the wilderness, but, more importantly, they would still be slaves in Egypt. When the plague of snakes comes upon them and they begin to die in their sin, they cry out, they do not want to suffer the wrath of God, we hear them then: "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. (NKJV) There is an important lesson for us here. It was the people of God, not some strangers outside the camp, it was the people of God who were rebellious, and who sinned against God and Moses. Please note too that although they asked for the snakes to be taken away, God instead gave them a way out, He did not take away the snakes.
God does not remove the obstacles from the path, instead He gives a way for His people to go through those obstacles, He asks that the people look to His method of salvation instead of their own merits, their own methods. Rabbi Harold Kushner tells of a time when he was speaking in a hospital, and an Episcopal priest who was dying of AIDS asked to see him. This priest told the Rabbi how much his books had helped, then observed that he wished he could preach just one more sermon. He would tell people, "I have to tell them that what I believed is true, really is.
God is there no matter what. God is present in the doctors, nurses and caregivers, and in the friends who come to be with me. When the hospital is quiet and the room is dark, God is here then too. It is really true." (E. Carver McGriff, Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Series VI, Cycle B, 1999-2000).
In today's gospel reading we find that God did not send Christ to condemn the world but rather to save it. Then it goes on to state the obvious, that Jesus did not need to condemn, we have already condemned ourselves. "John 3:18-20 (NKJV) "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. "
"The State of the Church 2011" one of the Barna Research statistical measures of Christianity in the US has this to say about church folk. Adult Sunday school attendance has diminished by eight percentage points over the past two decades. On any given Sunday, about 15% of adults can be expected to show up in a Sunday school class.
The most carefully watched church-related statistic is adult attendance. Since 1991, attendance has receded by nine percentage points, dropping from 49% in 1991 to 40% in 2011. Church volunteerism has dropped by eight percentage points since 1991. Presently, slightly less than one out of every five adults (19%) donates some of their time in a typical week to serving at a church. The most prolific change in religious behavior among those measured has been the increase in the percentage of adults categorized as unchurched. The Barna Group definition includes all adults who have not attended any religious events at a church, other than special ceremonies such as a wedding or funeral, during the prior six month period. In 1991, just one-quarter of adults (24%) were unchurched. That figure has ballooned by more than 50%, to 37% today.
The Barna summary included eight beliefs that have been tracked since 1991. Among those just three experienced statistically significant change.
The percentage of adults who can be classified as born again Christians, based on their belief that they will experience eternal salvation based on their commitment to Jesus Christ, personal confession of sins, and acceptance of Christ as their savior, has risen by five percentage points. In 1991, the national estimate was 35% of adults met those criteria. Currently, 40% of adults can be classified as born again.
When asked to choose one of several descriptions of God, the proportion who believe that God is "the all-knowing, all-powerful and perfect Creator of the universe who still rules the world today" currently stands at two-thirds of the public (67%). That represents a seven point drop from the 1991 level.
The biggest shift has been in people's perceptions of the Bible. In 1991, 46% of adults strongly affirmed that "the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches." That has slumped to just 38% who offer the same affirmation today.
The World Changers: Baby Boomers
No generation has been as widely chronicled as the Boomers, the post-war group born from 1946 through 1964. At every stage of their existence, this generation has redefined America's ways of life – including its faith and spirituality. Four of their six religious behaviors and two of their eight religious beliefs tracked in this study have undergone statistically significant change since 1991.
The four religious behaviors that shifted included the following.
Church attendance plummeted by 12 percentage points, dipping to 38% in 2011.
Sunday school attendance by Boomers fell by nine points, from 23% in 1991 to just 14% in 2011.
Volunteering at churches was less likely among Boomers in 2011 than was the case twenty years ago, declining from 28% in 1991 to 18% in 2011.
While the Boomers have never been the generation most likely to attend church, during the past 20 years the percentage of unchurched Boomers has risen dramatically, jumping up 18 points! At 41%, they are now the generation most likely to be unchurched, surpassing the 39% level among Busters.
The pair of religious beliefs that have yielded substantial change in the last two decades are declines in those who hold an orthodox view of God (down six points, to 67%); and a reduction in those who are strongly convinced that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches (down seven points, to just 38%).
We have a problem with cheap grace, with the idea that we can just say we are saved and we are, then we don't need to go to church nor do we need to read the Bible, or study with our brothers and sisters in the faith. In this nation of ours we don't really want to flee the wrath to come, we want instead to be told that we are OK, so we can continue in our lifestyles.
We Christians just love to hear John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe on Him, would not perish, but would have eternal life." What we don't want to hear, is that after God meets us where we are, He loves us too much to leave us there. That is the part of salvation that we don't really like, we enjoy our sins, I have even been heard to say that "sin is fun." It is, we like the positive reinforcement from our peers as we chug-a-lug another beer, or as we make that comment about the young woman walking by, or, the young man walking by. I'm sorry ladies but y'all are guilty too of looking at the opposite sex as something to be used, rather than as something or, better yet, someone who has worth in the eyes of God. We, beloved are all guilty, the Apostle Paul says it best, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." None of us is innocent, we have all been born into a sinful world, and we are all born in the image of Adam, not the image of God. There is a piece of us that is missing, it is a God piece that needs the Holy Spirit filling to bring us back to the image of God.
God abhors sin, in all its forms, the sooner we recognize ourselves in the people of Israel, the better off we will be. Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV) 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"
Let us then hear these words and understand that we are called to a higher calling than we want to admit. I have to say also, that I would rather have 10 solid prayerful Christian persons, than 100 who never open the word, never bend the knee, and come to church only when they feel like it. The third reading today is found in Ephesians, and it speaks well to those of us who claim to be saved, just as those folks in Ephesus claimed to be saved in their day. It is by grace that you were saved, that is God's wonderful grace, that we do not deserve. We are enemies of God, we are not God's friends, not until we come on bended knee before the throne of grace and acknowledge our sinful state with a broken and contrite heart.
Because we are all sinners, we have the stain of sin on our lives. This stain cannot be removed by doing good in an attempt to make up for the bad we have done. All of the good works in the world won't erase the stain of our sin. So stubborn is this stain, that there is only one substance in all the universe capable of removing it; The blood of Christ. Human effort cannot add anything to what God has already provided for the removal of our stain. When Christ said: It is Finished, He meant it! God had finished paying the price for the removal of our sin. How audacious we would be to think we could somehow improve upon what God has already finished in Christ."
Verse 10 says the rest: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Not only does God recreate you and I, but He has for us work to do. If we are truly His, we will hear His call upon us, we are truly created for good works that we might walk in His ways and be His people.
God loves us too much, to leave us in our sins and our trespasses. I read about this incident a few years ago: In 1992, a Los Angeles County parking control officer came upon a brown El Dorado Cadillac illegally parked next to the curb on street-sweeping day.
The officer dutifully wrote out a ticket. Ignoring the man seated at the driver's wheel, the officer reached inside the open car window and placed the $30 citation on the dashboard. The driver of the car made no excuses. No argument ensued — and with good reason. The driver of the car had been shot in the head ten to twelve hours before but was sitting up, stiff as a board, slumped slightly forward, with blood on his face. He was dead.
The officer, preoccupied with ticket-writing, was unaware of anything out of the ordinary. He got back in his car and drove away. Many people around us are "dead in transgressions and sins." What should catch our attention most is their need, not their offenses. They don't need a citation; they need a Savior.
So let us all realize the wrath to come, and it will come, is for those who will not hear and obey the word of God. Whether you are a member of a church, or you don't believe in church or God, really makes no difference, if the gospel has not changed your life, and the way you interact with your families and your neighbors, then the snakes are coming. The fiery serpents are out there, and unless we are willing to turn our eyes on Jesus Christ as savior, Lord, Brother, Redeemer, we will not escape the wrath. So, I urge you today, if your heart is not right with God, decide to "flee the wrath" decide to turn your eyes and your thoughts on Jesus, the author and perfector of your faith. Flee the wrath, accept the eternal life that is yours, by the death that was His. Let us together, walk into our future home in eternity, in the glory of God and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Filed under: Church Stuff, Politics | Tags: 10th Amendment, 1st Amendment, Atheists, Christians, Nullification, States Rights
In Congress there are a group of men and women who have formed themselves into what is known as the Congressional Prayer Group. A group calling itself the "American Humanist Association", has sent a letter to incoming freshman congresspersons to not join with the prayer group.
I find myself quite annoyed because this group wants to censor Christians, but wants to be able to use their own first amendment rights to say what they please. I think it is high time that the Courts stop playing footsie with these haters, and begin to actually read the Constitution rather than using some letter that Jefferson sent to a State Baptist Association. The 1st Amendment is very clear, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to a group of Baptists who were afraid that the Federal Gov't would pass a law outlawing their church. There were two reasons that Jefferson said what he did. One: the First Amendment says that Congress may not pass any law of the sort. Two This was a States Rights issue since we also have another amendment – the 10th which says that if the Constitution does not give the Federal Gov't the power to regulate, that power belongs to the States or to the people.
Amendment 10 – Powers of the States and People. Ratified 12/15/1791.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Actually many of the States kept their "State" churches well into the 1800's and that was their right to do so. They did not however stop people from worshipping as they wished, in most cases. So here we are with a States Rights issue that the courts have perverted and made into a Federal issue with a ruling based on a letter written by a man who had nothing to do with writing the Constitution in the first place. The states have the right to nullify Federal actions which are unconstitutional, including this idiocy about religion and whether or not it can be practiced in public or not.
What do you think? Should the states begin using the power of nullification to right the ship of state?
Filed under: Church Stuff, God | Tags: Grace, Holy Communion, Journey, Life
In the gospel of Luke the 24th Chapter beginning in verse 13, two of the disciples had left Jerusalem and were traveling to a small town about 7 miles from there called Emmaus. As they walked they spoke with each other about what had happened to Jesus. I imagine they were in a bit of shock, and mourning the loss of their dear friend and mentor. Also they had thought that the Messiah would be a warrior and would defeat the Romans and set Israel up as the center of the world.
A man joins them on the way, and acts like he has no clue about what had happened, they proceed to tell him as they walk along. Then he tells them what the scriptures say about the Messiah and that what happened was foretold. When they get to Emmaus, they invite the man to eat with them, and, as they are eating the stranger takes the bread and breaks it. Immediately, they recognize Jesus.
In 1989 I went on a Walk to Emmaus weekend, I was pastoring a small church at the time, and went on this weekend because some friends wanted me to, I didn't really expect much to come of it but I went anyway. It was a life changing experience, I learned what this Jesus thing was really all about. More importantly, I began to understand better the working of the Holy Spirit in my life. Gifts and graces are a part of all believers, they are a gift of God. Of course we also had the scriptures opened to us on that weekend and as a Pastor, I learned a lot on that weekend that had not been taught at seminary.
I also came to understand the walk in the context of Cleopas and his fellow disciple as they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. We worshipped and broke bread (holy communion) many times on that weekend. As we did so the reality of that service of remembrance called Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist, and we came to understand that although it is bread and wine (grape juice), the Lord is present with us. I know that Christ is with me as I walk on this journey, through life and on into eternity. It is my prayer that like me, you too experience the presence of Christ with you.
I hope you will read this story again in Luke 24:13-35, learn of the journey, the short one in this story and the life journey in the scriptures. If you don't know Christ, take the time to meet him, you might just have a life changing experience also. If you do know him have you recognized him in the Breaking of the Bread?


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There is more than a 100 way to make money online. And yes you can make money online by selling ebooks. You have two options in front of you: either you should be creating the ebooks yourself or you should be paying someone to write them for you called ghostwriter. If you are going with the second option, then you should be having resale rights, in order to sell the ebook to others. You can also sell e-books and get a commission from the author. Anyways, you'll be needing a site to promote the e-books and this is the basic necessity to make money by selling ebooks.
If you are good at writing then you can create your own ebooks. This way, actually you are saving lots of money. Otherwise, you would have to hire someone that writes well. Not just that, if you are going to create ebooks, you should be having some idea regarding the content of the ebook as well. If the ebook that you are gonna create is about making money online, then you should be yourself knowing how to make money online. Then only you would be able to express it the right way.
Sales letters are something you should be having with you if you want to sell ebooks. Ebooks won't get sold that easily without a good sales letter. If you don't know how to write a sales letter the right way, then you can hire someone that knows how to write a sales letter the best way. You should make the writer realize that it is very important to you and should be telling him that – the sales letter should convert the visitors – and make them buy the ebook from you. Such a sales letter writer will surely be charging you much – but it would be actually worth it and you'll realize it when you start seeing sales in your websites.
Once you have created your ebook and sales letter, you can use various methods to promote it. Many people sell their ebooks on amazon. Amazon is an online marketplace for people to promote their digital products such as ebooks and software. Once you register an account on amazon, you can have your ebook sold by thousands of affiliates who are looking for products to promote, and you'll have to pay them commissions for their sales. So you'll have to decide how much you want to give to your affiliates.
If you don't have your own ebook, you can also become an affiliate yourself and find e-books written by other authors on amazon to promote. You'll receive commissions paid by the authors if there are any sales generated from your unique affiliate links.
Either you are an author or affiliate, you'll be using amazon's payment system to pay or receive commissions. It's a perfect system that save you a lot of work.
In your promotion, you'll have to present the sales letter written by you or others to readers, and a reader who acts from reading to buying is called, "conversion". The market average conversion rate is 1%, that means 100 readers who read your sales letter, only 1 reader will buy your ebook. But if your sales letter is attractive enough, you can raise the conversion rate to 5% or 6%, that's really good enough for online marketing field.

subset: commoncrawl


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Light Series Loading Ramp
The Light Series Ramp is ideal for both small and full size vans
The Light series is a simple and economic loading ramp. Equipped with standard features including our industry leading spring assist and wheels on the end of the ramp for effortless deployment and storage.
The Light Series loading ramp is ideal for both small and full size vans. In small van applications the Light series is suitable for rear door applications. In full size van applications the Light series can be mounted in either the rear or side door depending on the customers preference.
In either application the loading ramp sits just behind the doors and only takes up about 8 inches of space. Keeping the ramp inside the vehicle protects it from rain, snow, and vandalism.
No maintenance or service needed. These ramps will provide years of hassle free performance. Designed to be used numerous times a day; every day.
Optional Removal Kit available: Must be countersunk into wood floor. Ideal for sharing of ramp between vehicles in a fleet. See photos below for example of removal quick release kit install.
The Light series loading ramp is suitable for all small vans, full size vans, box on body, or full size box trucks.
Key Features Include:
880 Lbs. loading capacity
Spring assist standard on every ramp for ease of use and long term reliability
Ramp floor is available with either solid or perforated aluminum surface
Equipped with wheels at end of ramp to make deployment and storage easy
Ramp floor is equipped with movable flaps on either end to facilitate a smooth and even transition between surfaces at multiple heights and load angles.
Use ramp as a plank on steps, van to van, loading docks and more
Ergonomic function of approx 22lbs of force
Variety of widths & lengths available
Third piece extensions available for even greater length
Optional: ability to remove ramp in 1 minute when equipped with quick connect & release system.
When equipped with quick connect & release system the light ramp is ideal for sharing and transfer from one vehicle to another for multi-vehicle fleets
Custom sizes are available to accommodate your unique application
Let us tell you how our ramps will fit into your:
Nissan NV
Select your van above to be directed to your specific page
Call for your local salesmen 763-762-3451


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November 2014
My family and I wanted to take a moment to say how much we appreciate all that you did for us in regards to our new home. Words cannot begin to describe our gratitude to Keystone and your dedicated team of professionals (especially Beth and Wayne) who helped put it all together for us. Wayne did a magnificent job on the house and the end result speaks for itself. We are thrilled with our new home and everything is perfect. The floor plan is just what we were hoping to find when we were looking at homes and the neighborhood is simply wonderful. We look forward to raising our children and making many memories for the rest of our lives here. I would also like to mention how thankful we are for Mr. Bagwell for going above and beyond. Keystone is an amazing asset for Polk and Pasco County families who are serious about becoming responsible homeowners but need a helping hand to get there. Thank you for extending your hand to us, we will always be thankful.
Joe Rogers


text: uality of service. Geri demonstrates these core values when meeting her clients' needs whether she is selling their home or helping them purchase the home of their dreams.Geri Pagoto is a resident of the North Shore of Long Island. Living and working there has made her an expert on the various communities, homes, and schools of the surrounding areas. Listing and selling homes from Queens to Suffolk, Geri provides her clients with commitment, diligence, and a vast knowledge of the real estate market.Since 1922, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty sales professionals have remained committed to the essential principles of integrity, confidentiality, and excellent q


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Open daily 11:00-24:00, sunday and holidays 11:00-23:00
Traditional Czech cuisine.
Pilsner Urquell is led from the tank to the pipe just 3 meters (beer drinkers certainly know what they are talking).
With the unique system of the tap not contact with air, beer,
dioxide or other gases and beers to retain its exceptional flavor.
Specially trained bartender knows his craft to perfection.
Possibility of garden furniture.
Capacity: 150 restaurant, garden 60th
Possibility of card payments.
All this and much more offers RESTAURANT Bredovský court.


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Buff & Hensman created hundreds of houses that helped define the California post-war dream from 1950 – 2000. Along the way they garnered more than 40 A.I.A. Awards for budget-minded cabins to opulent celebrity sanctuaries. Their designs are timeless and their skills were agile enough to design fine residences for more than 50 years despite changing tastes and new stringent environmental regulations imposed since the 1970s.
Their aesthetic evolved over the years from pure post and beam, wood and glass classics, like Case Study House #20 to beautifully proportioned plays of mass and shadow. Despite the more sheltered exterior designs, the interior spaces remained open and airy.
The beauty of their work comes from attention to the large and small elements that make a house a fine personal experience for the owner, starting with understanding what a parcel has to offer, and taking full advantage of it. They were magicians at making a parcel open and private, whether it really was or not by strategic placement of the house and use of structural planes as foils and baffles which were enhanced with expanses of glass.They carried that attention through the beautifully proportioned spaces, the high-quality materials and workmanship and their renowned detailing and creative assembly.
Even people who know about Buff & Hensman tend to think their work ended with the Case Study program, but they continued to build elegant residences based on the very same principles for another thirty five years. Many of the early projects were photographed by Julius Shulman and can be seen in the Buff & Hensman book.


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Phone 4 Energy
The mpg to power ratio puts the Firebird way ahead of the Golf, but the Golf can burn biodiesel (something I'm experimenting with) and its (dino) fuel costs 66 to 69 cents a litre... about CDN$3.00 an imperial gallon on average compared to the Firebird's 84 to 89 cents a litre. For the V-8 to cost the same to operate as the Golf, it would have to get around 70 mpg!
Overall I love Home Power magazine, keep up the good work. Now I'm going to try to get past the author's bias and see if there's any salvageable info in that article. Kindest Regards, Stephen Bungay [email protected]
Hello Stephen, I'm glad you were interested in the Honda Insight article, and I hope you read the Toyota Prius article in the next issue as well. If so, you found that I agreed that hybrids serve a useful purpose for some situations. You certainly are a perfect example of a driver for whom a hybrid would be an excellent choice, due to your long commute.
As for issues of battery toxicity and power plant emissions... funny you should mention them. I just happened to address those topics in my article in this issue (see page 98 ). I also notice that, as I mentioned in the hybrid articles, you are one of many households that have multiple cars. Perhaps one of your fleet that is used only for local errands could be pure electric. Biodiesel is also an excellent alternative.
No, electric cars cannot fill everyone's needs all the time. But there are a huge number of vehicles on the road that could be pure electric, without cramping the owner's style in the least. If we only replaced those cars with electrics, it would make an enormous difference in our air quality and our petroleum dependence.
By the way, since you are in Canada, I hope you will contact the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association listed in the Access section of my article in this issue. Even if you live on the other side of the country, they can supply useful information, and may be able to put you in touch with an EV club near you. Shari Prange [email protected] com
Hi Stephen, I have two major disappointments about the two "hybrid" vehicles on the market. First is that they are completely gas powered. You cannot plug these cars in. It would be nice if you could use RE or even grid electricity for battery charging, since it is both cleaner and more convenient. Second is that the electric component is so minor. The Prius'battery is only 110 pounds, while the Insight's is half of that. These are small battery banks, so they primarily offer a "boost" to the car for acceleration and some slow-speed operation with the Prius. However I look at it, these "hybrid" designs seem to be completely stacked in favor of non-renewable fuel use.
These new vehicles are certainly a step in the right direction, but I don't see it as a big enough step. But, it's not an either/or situation. We can have these types of vehicles and pure electrics, since there are many different needs to fill. Ian Woofenden
Richard, I just noticed your comment in HP83 on page 142 on boiler systems, and page 151 on lightning problems. I have short comments on those two topics to share experience and opinions that are exceptions to what you stated.
On boilers, those I have encountered have been bad phantom loads, though one was possible to modify by using a line voltage thermostat on the AC side of the transformer. But the boiler does not store water, so there is an extra pumping stage plus the control loads that makes them electrically inefficient. Of course, a good quality tank style gas water heater eliminates all the electrical problems of the boiler, but trades them for inefficiency of BTUs going up the stack.
On lightning, my experience says that systems with buried wires have the most lightning damage to inverters and sometimes charge controllers. Wires going underground to PV, or underground AC wires to outbuildings always seem to be present in lightning damaged systems. We recommend placing the arrestors on these wires where they enter the power room. It seems that a lightning strike to a tree will send emf ripples centrifugally outward like ripples in a pond, and a wire parallel to those lines will pick up the inductive pulse. In fact I have seen the sparks jump out the ends. Systems with modules on the building and no outbound wires at all have to suffer a direct hit to be damaged. That said, lightning—being unpredictable— will prove us both wrong.
And a request: I have long been sending folks to the California state energy Web site for comparisons of efficiency for appliances like refrigerators and freezers. They seem to have cancelled that page now, and I find more difficult to use data at www.energy.ca.gov/efficiency/appliances and also www.energystar.gov/products in spreadsheet form. Is this the best you know of presently?
Finally, thanks for the guide to RE incentives at www.homepower.com/stateincentives.htm—it's just what customers need. I will be promoting that in our next Backwoods newsletter. Steve Willey, Backwoods Solar Electric Systems • [email protected]
Hello Steve, Thanks for this information on boilers and lightning. I totally agree with you on the fickle nature of lightning. My experience with buried conductors has been the opposite of yours. Perhaps this has to do with soil composition and moisture content. The more I hear from others about lightning damage, the more I realize that our understanding of lightning is akin to the parable of the five blind men describing an elephant.
I find the best source of info for efficient appliances is: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20036 • 202-429-0063 [email protected] • www.aceee.org Richard Perez
Dear friends of guerrilla solar, I have heard of lots of disappointment in our world of rebel solar because Trace Engineering is no longer selling their MicroSine inverters. These little units allowed guerrillas like us to slap together a 100 watts of modules, stick them in the sun, and plug them into our household circuits, for our own use or to turn the meter backwards. They are safe, and they work pretty well. It is too bad that Trace stopped selling this great little tool.
But the very same OK4U-100 inverter is still being manufactured by the maker in The Netherlands, and is still available. They have about 1,000 in stock that carry the original UL listing. And once those are gone, the newer units' safety is still certified by the strict European CE and by the Dutch Kema Keur rules. They are also still making the OK485 computer interface to allow monitoring and fine-tuning of the inverter's operating parameters.
They can be ordered individually or with price breaks for greater numbers directly from the manufacturer. Shipping to the U.S. is no problem. To order or get pricing information, call, write, fax, or email to: NKF Electronics B.V., PO Box 415, NL-2800 AK Gouda, The Netherlands • +31 182 592 497 • Fax: +31 182 592 123 [email protected]
www.nkf.nl/electronics/photo.htm. Sincerely, Maka Rukus & Jenny Freely, solar guerrillas
Dear Michael, I live in a state that I believe could care less about renewable energy. Missouri has no net metering law, and I would like to start writing some of the representatives in my state to encourage them to pass the laws I need. I want to have my own grid intertie system and keep my electric company from messing with me. I've looked at the net metering link on your Web site, and I've seen what some states have and what others are proposing. I don't know the politics and what's fair between me and my utility. I figure this is something you guys talk about all the time. What I'm wanting is for Home Power to tell me what I should propose in my letters so I can help the energy-conscious in my state who have my interest, but who will never write a letter. Can you help me? Donald R. Culver, 15448 Old 40 Hwy., Higginsville, MO 64037 [email protected]
Hello Donald, We are printing your letter so that others in Missouri can contact you and help out. A good resource for net metering laws is Tom Starrs 206-463-7571 • [email protected]. Michael Welch
Alastair's Desulfator Circuit
Hi Richard, Alastair Couper has suggested that I get in touch with you to let your readers know that parts kits are available for his battery desulfator (see HP77, page 84 or www.shaka.com/~kalepa/desulf.htm). I've modified the linked circuit to use a programmable micro controller—a "Stamp"—to drive the FET. The BASIC Stamp 1 is a small computer (about 4 times the size of a 555 timer chip or a 28 pin DIP) that runs Parallax BASIC (PBASIC) programs. The BASIC Stamp is programmed via a custom cable that attaches to your computer's parallel printer port.
I sell the parts kits for both the original and Stamp-driven circuit for those folks having a difficult time finding the parts (see
Motorcycle batteries seem to sulfate just by looking at them. I have saved a ton of money desulfating motorcycle and UPS gell-cell batts using the original circuit. The Stamp is a bit easier for most folks to set up. I am currently developing a battery analyzer (conductance testing) using the Stamp and a small part of the desulfator circuit:
www.shaka.com/~kalepa/gbook.htm. The Stamp is a hoot to play with. Have fun! Don Denhardt, Clinton Township, Michigan • [email protected]
Hi, Richard, My daughter-in-law just dropped off the Feb/Mar and Apr/May issues of your magazine. I hadn't looked at one for a while, and I was very impressed with the quality of your information and everything else. Good work. I especially was impressed by the article about passive cooling in hot, humid climates (although there is obviously a lot more to be told in the next issue). It was an excellent primer in the basic physics of energy, heat, etc.
In the Feb/Mar issue, you wrote, in Ozonal Notes, on the subject of infrastructure, and how we will eventually produce a lot of our energy with PV, but with the utility companies still being involved in transmission. You also mentioned that, eventually we could use some of this solar energy to produce hydrogen, which could then be used in pure hydrogen fuel cells for those times when the sun isn't shining. I agree with this idea; however, I also think that, in the short term at least, perhaps the problem of no insolation at night could be overcome by storing energy by pumping water up to storage sites during the day, then retrieving the energy by running the water back through turbines for nighttime production. If we put storage facilities at a high enough elevation above the pumps and turbines, we could minimize the size of the storage facilities.
Another thing: recently on the Jeff Golden show on NPR, a man called in, and claimed that if everyone in California stopped using their clothes dryers, there would not be an energy "crisis." Nothing else. I strongly suspect this to be true. Flash—I just went to your PDF on load calcs, where your two example families each run their clothes dryers for four hours per week. The loads given in your example were for a gas dryer, I guess. I didn't see any figures for electric clothes dryers on your site, so I found a number on another site: 4,350
watts. This seems reasonable; a dryer circuit requires a thirty amp, 240 volt circuit. So if we assume there are 8,000,000 families in California, and all of them converted from electric to solar clothes drying, that would be 8,000,000 x 4.35 KWH x 4 hours per week = 128 gigawatt-hours per week.
Another way to look at it is, assuming that an average family uses 1 KW continuously, on average (a number I've heard kicked around, but can't confirm), then switching to a solar clothes dryer would save about ten percent of their total energy use. Rolling blackouts are only occurring when the "margin" at the power plants gets down to, what, 1 percent? This means that just the clothes dryer issue would give them plenty of margin to stop the blackouts, while we convert to RE sources.
I realize that everyone in California doesn't have an electric clothes dryer, but even if they have gas dryers, they still use a similar amount of energy. I also realize that there are a few brave souls who already use clotheslines, but as far as I can tell, we're a tiny minority. One of the callers on Jeff Golden's program said that he gets teased because he uses a clothes line! Another says that clotheslines are prohibited in her neighborhood.
I have another question: since California pays up to half the cost of a PV system, do you think it is prudent for us Oregonians to wait on purchasing a PV system until Oregon follows suit? After all, we're a progressive state, right?
Along these lines, do you know of any efforts being made to influence the Oregon Energy Department, or legislature, or governor to move in this direction? What can I do? Who should I write? Who should I shake? Great magazine you guys have going there. Thanks, Malcolm Drake, Grants Pass, Oregon • [email protected]
Hello Malcolm, I think your calculations regarding electric clothes dryers are right on target. In sunny California, a simple, outdoor clothesline is a real winner. I'm often distressed when I receive email from Californians living in subdivisions that prohibit outdoor clotheslines. Get a grip, folks!
I wouldn't hold my breath for Oregon to have a PV buydown program similar to California's—Oregon just isn't that rich. But Oregon does have some very attractive RE tax incentives. Contact Christopher Dymond, Oregon Office of Energy, 625 Marion St. NE, Salem OR 97301 • 503-378-8325 [email protected]. us
In terms of political organizing for RE programs in Oregon, contact John Patterson of the Oregon Solar
Energy Industries Association (OSEIA) [email protected]. Richard Perez
Hi Richard, I liked the "Electric Tricycle" article very much (HP83, page 84); it gives enough detail to inspire doing your own not identical but similar design.
There is one thing that gives pause—the charger circuit. There is a shock hazard with this design, and whereas I'm glad to see that people are still winding transformers, this is an auto-transformer with no line isolation and where one side of the AC line is directly to the battery/motor. In the U.S.A., 220 volts is either side of neutral rather than one side being neutral.
Also, it is worth reminding people that they can die touching twelve (even four!) batteries in series. It only takes about 7 watts to kill you (locked up chest muscle). I hope no one gets hurt and we continue building stuff, but I continue to be concerned that HP doesn't seem concerned about publishing material that may be hazardous to inexperienced users without safety disclaimers. I want HP to continue to publish forever (Fuel Cells From Plastic Wrap?).
In this particular article, the charger isn't a requisite part of the fundamental design. On the other hand, I'm wondering where all these cheap Chinese drills are (grin). Anyhow, thanks for the wonderful magazine! Premena • [email protected]
Hello Premena, You are correct, the autotransformer design carries with it a shock hazard. Folks either buying or winding their own transformers should use models with fully isolated windings, not autotransformers. My apologies for letting this slip by in print without warning folks. Richard Perez
Thanks for a great magazine. I have subscribed to Home Power since issue #2, and all issues since are part of my library. I have gained most of my knowledge about alternative energy by reading Home Power.
I live on a farm (off the grid since 1992) in central Portugal. I have a 2.6 KW solar-electric system that supplies all the electricity for my two houses (one is a guest house). The energy is stored in two battery banks of 900 amp-hours and 1,850 amp-hours. I also have a backup generator, but I have only used it for 800 hours in nine years. Keeping in mind that it is cheaper to save energy than to produce energy, I only use energy-saving lamps, and always buy the most energy efficient appliances I can find. My houses have all the modern amenities like any house in the city. I also have a submersible pump, which lifts all my water from a 70
meter deep well. So far, I always have had enough electricity, even in winter.
This winter it was a different story. It started raining in early November and it did not stop until the beginning of this month. We had storms and floods in Portugal unknown in the history of this country. In six months, there were only fourteen days of sunshine. My solar-electric system survived this extreme weather, but my diesel generator broke down. For the first time, I experienced an energy shortage.
The experts say that this extreme weather is only the beginning, and that it will get worse. We have to live with this kind of weather extremes in the future—the consequences of global warming. It seems that the climate change is accelerating. Higher temperatures mean more evaporation. The more water goes up, the more comes down. Higher temperatures also mean more heat radiating from the surface, creating more powerful storms.
If there is no sunshine for six months of the year, I must reconsider my energy supply. I have no stream nearby and therefore no hydro power option. I live in a valley and I cannot make use of wind power. In the summer months my two battery banks are fully charged at around 11:00 in the morning. If only I could store all the electricity that I could harvest after 11:00, it could be enough for the long winter.
The answer could be hydrogen storage and fuel cells. How long will it take until I will be able buy the necessary hardware, as I now buy charge controllers, inverters, and batteries? I would very much appreciate if you could run some articles about the availability of the hydrogen technology for home power applications. Best regards, Robert Kuchta, Tabua, Portugal [email protected]
Hello Robert, We ran a fuel cell article in HP72 and the situation has not changed very much since then. I wish I had a crystal ball and could predict when fuel cell technology would replace engine-generators as backup energy sources for RE systems. My best guess is that we are at least two to five years from this happening. Richard Perez
HP Advertisers: Take Note
Hello everyone, Today (5-1-01) I made the decision to put Hydrocaps on two flooded deep-cycle batteries in the solar-electric system that powers my ham radio rig. Naturally, I grabbed the latest issue of Home Power to find a friendly dealer for this product by going to their Web site.
Guess what? This simple task consumed more than one hour! And why did it take soooooo long for me to part with about $60 of my money? Because not too many of the advertising sites have enough brains to put search functions into their sites!
I and others are not going to spend stupid amounts of time wandering around in product listings and other trappings of a Web site. If your living depends on selling the various products of renewable energy, don't waste my time! Get smart! Review your site and make sure that the search function is right out front, or your site will not make it into my (and perhaps others') favorites folder. Bill Bowes, N7MOB, Federal Way, Washington [email protected]
Todd Engineering $$
Howdy Home Power, I, unfortunately, purchased two Todd Engineering chargers last year. The chargers failed and the folks at Todd were real nice. They sent replacements and took a credit card number to guarantee the return of the defective units. I returned the units last year, and I thought the matter was closed.
I was wrong. They charged my credit card for one of the returned units. I tried for three weeks to contact Todd Engineering to no avail. Finally, I challenged the charge with my credit card company. Soon I heard from Todd Engineering's bank. They are out of business and the bank has taken over their accounts. They are charging everybody everything they can because Todd's problems also led to a huge debt that the bank wants repaid.
The person I spoke with at the bank was very nice and agreed to cancel the outstanding debt that they showed on my account. I suppose many of your readers have had similar problems. My main reason for sharing this information is to pass on the contact information for the bank. You cannot get through to Todd because they are gone. The contact is: Kenneth E. Lust, Vice President, Special Assets Manager, National City Bank of Indiana, Fort Wayne Office, 110 West Berry St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802 • 219-461-7404 • Fax: 219-461-7471.
Please pass this info on to your readers who might be pulling their hair out trying to get in touch with Todd Engineering. Please withhold my address because I don't want my whistle blowing to alter my status with the bank. Thanks. (Name withheld at writer's request)
Greetings, I have been following HP since my interest in RE turned from fantasy to fact in 1991. Recently, I built a small 100 watt RE system to provide energy in the event of a blackout. Power outages are not common for Austin Texas. Usually when they occur, it's due to downed power lines from high winds. On May 20, we had a severe storm blow through our northeastern Austin neighborhood.
As many as 25,000 customers were without electricity. The darkness came across my block as power lines snapped in the 80+ mph winds. The only light was from the lights reflected from the city and the light in my house. Thank you HP! If it were not for your insightful magazine, I would not have been able to light our darkest hour. My system was assembled for less than US$500.
I would like to add on a sad note that the solar-electric panel I used in my system was taken from me by the high winds. Ironically, it was just after I read an old article on how to properly mount PV panels. Cheers, Thomas, Austin, Texas • [email protected]
Richard, Renewables are great, but the California energy problem is a lot more about greed then it is about a real shortage of electrical energy. The PUC got us into this mess and I really doubt if they can get us out. Thanks for keeping Home Power available on the net. I hope you keep your advertisers informed of this unbelievable benefit. Mike, Vacaville, California [email protected]
Apartment PV Retrofit?
I've begun searching for any PV product or prototype that would work in an apartment building with excellent solar exposure. I'm envisioning a product like mini-blinds, with each blind turning sunlight to KWH (with or without battery backup). I have about 39 square feet of south-facing glazing, with no obstructions, and the same east-facing, for a total of 78 square feet. In spite of the view of Mt. Rainier from two windows, I often have to keep my blinds partially closed to block glare on computer screen. Also, if I return to working five days a week away from home, the blinds could be closed with no loss of light or view.
Is there anything like this under development? I would be happy to cooperate with product developers if they need a test site. With more than fifteen years experience in energy efficiency and renewable energy (including solar site survey thirty years ago), I would be a conscientious product tester. Of course, I would prefer that the building owner take advantage of the electric utility's 70 percent loan to weatherize this 1912 building, and then go a step further and add solar rooftop panels. But she has not responded to the info package I provided. Therefore, anything I can do with the interior of my apartment that does not violate the tenant/landlord contract would be my next best option.
It seems to me that window washers and mini-blind cleaners would be proactive on any emerging product that turns window treatments into solar collectors. Looking forward to reading an article in HP if the industry is already heading this way. Thanks. Dulce Setterfield • [email protected]
Hello Dulce, Several PV manufacturers, notably BP, are developing semi-transparent photovoltaic glazing. These thin-film products are being very slowly introduced into the commercial, building-integrated PV market. There are no similar products on the near horizon for the residential market. And if and when they do arrive, they'll probably be in the form of window glazing. So installing the systems will mean replacing the windows—not a solution for people in rental situations.
I'd suggest approaching your landlord again about a rooftop PV array. With all the energy issues in the news, they might be more willing to work with you. If your building has a flat roof, the array could be ballasted (weighted down) and the roof membrane wouldn't even need to be penetrated. I've been thinking about writing an article detailing the status of building-integrated photovoltaics. Thanks for your input. Joe Schwartz
Dear Home Power, Code Corner, HP81 dealt with sizing wire for a small simple system. As usual, Mr. Wiles did a very thorough job of explaining the issues and showing sample calculations. As sometimes happens, I would reach a somewhat different conclusion. I'll lay out the issues as I see them.
1. I agree with John that 5.5 volts drop (23%) on a 24 V RE system is way too much.
2. John describes what I think is more accurately called a 34.6 volt system, and not a 24 volt system, based on the peak power point (per ULCI703) and no battery, with a 24 volt load (motor/pump).
3. Using John's calculations, the 5.5 V drop (using peak power point as John did) leaves us with 29.1 V at the motor—over 21 percent higher than nameplate. If the 2 percent drop is used, the motor will see about 34.1 V—about 42 percent higher than nameplate. On a clear cold winter day, the voltage could be higher yet, while a hot hazy summer day reduces the voltage. As an engineer who has worked with two different motor manufacturers, this concerns me. Most 24 volt motors should work just fine up to 28 volts or so, with higher voltages resulting in reduced life. Check the motor/pump information. Many solar pumps will work PV direct with up to 30 volts. Higher PV current output can be achieved under some conditions, but it would be very surprising to end up with a low motor voltage under high current conditions.
4. Depending on the type of motor and pump, the higher voltage can result in short motor life due to higher loads at high speed, brush arcing and excessive wear, and a host of other factors. High voltage, and hence high speed, can also quickly wear out some types of sliding vane and diaphragm pumps. Under low light conditions, the power available can drop substantially, stalling out the motor.
So what do we do? I would recommend using a #14 cable. With more information on the motor than is given in John's prelude, we could fine tune this. A lower rated motor current than 4.33 amps might convince me to use a #16 control cable, if this was my own system.
The user should talk to a local RE dealer or electrical supplier. They can probably obtain a suitable cable, or may suggest a conduit from the panels to the ground to eliminate the need for sunlight resistance. The disconnect could then be located in a weatherproof box adjacent to the panels, with the transition from conduit to buried cable made at the junction box. Low temperature (60°C) wet-rated wire can be used from the box to the pump. Your final purchase may involve a linear current booster. That will keep the pump pumping under conditions that may not normally allow the pump to operate. I'd much rather see the few hundred dollars spent on an LCB than heavy wire—I believe you'll get more water for your buck!
One last issue from the article I'd like to clarify involves grounding. In the same Code Corner column, John unintentionally suggests that the negative "may be" attached to the ground rod at the PV, and "will be" connected to the ground rod at the pump location. In general, I suggest avoiding ground loops. I would ground the electrical system at one location only, if at all. I would not ground the negative at both the PV module ground rod and at the pump. Bonding both the module frame and pump to ground is a different issue. Patrick Cusack, Arise Technologies, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Hello Patrick, It is good to see these types of letters in Home Power from our friends in Canada. You raise some good points. It was not my intent to present information on designing a water pumping system, but to show how voltage-drop calculations are made. While my experience with PV water pumping is somewhat limited, I do not recall any limitations on the maximum voltage, other than the nominal system voltage (12, 24, or 48 volts). I have seen few discussions of voltage drop or high open-circuit voltages in cold weather. As the voltage goes higher (above 48 volts nominal) with the electronically commutated designs, I suspect that the voltage range may be more carefully restricted. I'll leave it to the PV pump suppliers to discuss this in more detail.
As far as the comments on wear and tear on conventional DC motors operating at higher voltages, I agree with Patrick's comments. We must keep in mind that many of these PV power pumping systems do not use conventional DC motors, but use solenoid types of pump drivers and electronically commutated AC motors. I agree again with Patrick—check with the pump supplier.
Copper is pretty cheap these days. Up-sizing the conductors should always be evaluated in a cost vs. performance tradeoff, keeping in mind that the upgrade is a one-time cost that must be balanced against the power and energy losses over thirty years or more. Power lost due to increased resistance in smaller copper conductors is lost forever. Even when a current booster is used, they too, can benefit from higher power inputs (less voltage drop). The output power (higher currents at lower voltages) of such a device will always be limited by the input power (usually at higher voltage and lower currents), minus any losses in the current booster. When the input power is reduced by wire losses, so will the output power.
Where the PV array is located some distance from the power electronics/battery/pump, it is acceptable to bond the negative circuit conductor to ground at the PV array and at the power center, as long as no equipment grounding conductor or other metallic path is used between the two locations. This saves the cost of one
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V_410-391-2000_y conductor (the equipment-grounding conductor), and that money can be used to upgrade the size of the circuit conductors. See "Grounding the South 40" in Code Corner, HP74 and NEC section 250-32.
I visited the local building supply store yesterday and found that all of their THHN was dual marked THWN-2 (an excellent conductor for use in conduit), and that the price of that wire was less than conductors with lesser ratings from other sources. In many cases, the larger production runs and demands in other industries for the better cables gives those of us in the PV world the opportunity to get the best cables at a lower price than would otherwise be possible. John Wiles, Program Manager, Southwest Technology Development Institute, Las Cruces, NM • 505-646-6105 • Fax: 505-646-3841 [email protected]
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Richard Perez
©2001 Richard Perez On 24 May 2001, I received the following email from a Home Power reader:
"Hello again, Richard. Since I got your four Solar CDs from my son for Christmas, I have spent many hours reading the back issues. One page stood out today—HP22, page 4, and I thought you might want to be reminded of it. Perhaps you could run it again and save yourself a little time! Reminds me of the old saw, "Like father, like son." Hope to see you at the MREA fair in June. Cliff Anderson, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota'.'
I didn't remember what Cliff was referring to, so I pulled out a copy of HP22 and looked. Here is a verbatim reprint of that editorial. We first printed it in the April/May 1991 issue of Home Power.
Bush's Energy Non-Policy for the Suicidal and Terminally Stupid
Bush's new energy policy assumes we are fools with a death wish. There is nothing new in drilling Alaska till it hurts, or in building more nuclear power plants. This is the same short-sighted BS that has gotten us in environmental trouble and into war. Let's look at the facts.
There really isn't that much oil in Alaska. How much? Well, look at it this way. Alaska contains less oil than we'd have saved by sticking with the EPA automobile mileage guidelines modified in the 1980s. When the government lessened these EPA requirements, auto makers stopped making more efficient vehicles. This one dumb move has consumed more than all the oil in Alaska. Drilling Alaska only postpones the inevitable, destroys Alaska, and pollutes us all in the process. We need alternatives to oil burning, not more oil.
No one is building new nuclear power plants. Nukes under construction are being decommissioned. The reasons for this are simple: One, no one knows what to do with the radioactive leftovers. Two, the nukes operating now are more expensive and have more down-time than any other type of power plant. Three, when the Washington Public Power System (WPPS) failed financially, it took the entire nuclear power industry with it. The third reason is what has really stopped nuclear power. The WPPS bonds (AAA rated municipals) went from valuable to worthless in a single day. No one will finance new nukes because they are financial disasters. Let us give thanks for small favors because if nukes were cost-effective, then we'd have to deal with their radioactive waste. And no one has the answer to that.
Something Else?
Yes, we want something else! We're tired of the same old dreck that is visibly poisoning our planet and picking our pockets. We're ready to do whatever it takes to give this planet a sustainable energy future. And here's what it takes.
Make power from sunshine, wind, and falling water. There are between 30,000 and 50,000 households now doing this in America. Home power producers have their own power company. No monthly bills, no blackouts, and no pollution.
If you can't get your power from a renewable source, then conserve every watt-hour. Use efficient appliances. Turn off appliances when not in use. Be aware that the cost of grid power is much higher than your electric meter shows. Treat every watt like it will come back and bite you— because it will. Coal, nuclear, and oil power plants all extract a high price from our environment.
Keep your vehicle in top shape. Drive only when necessary. Drive slowly. Keep your tires pumped up. Use an electric vehicle. Demand automakers produce emission-free vehicles. Then buy one and smile as you drive it.
Green certainly, but this is no dream. Look at the articles in this issue alone. These are people who are living the Green Dream. Check out Huckleberry Homestead on page 6—they're doing it. Check out the electric car on page 85—they're doing it. If we just plain ole'regular folks can accomplish this on our budgets, then government and big business has no excuse. It's a dream until you decide to live it...
After reading this, I got slack jawed. Did I really write this ten years ago? I thought about opening up a hotline—call 1-900-Solar Psychic. Then I realized that I'm not psychic, it's just that nothing has changed in the U.S.A.'s energy policies during the last ten years. About the only thing out of date in that editorial is the number of RE users, which is well over 180,000 now. As far as our government's energy policy, it's the same old BS.
President Bush is following his dad's ten-year-old policies—more oil, more coal, and more nukes. Is this effective? Hardly. We are now having utility blackouts, and the price of gas is higher than it ever has been. We have train loads of nuclear waste waiting to cruise the tracks looking for a home.
Psycho-logic Dark Age Mindset
Jason Powell ©2001 Jason Powell
A psycho-logic, Dark Age mindset manipulates many of the two-leggeds
A psycho-logic, Dark Age mindset masquerades as yet another emperor wearing yet another new skin
In Washington, it's Bush 2, son of Bush 1
same stage, same storyline more "family values"
from the family with killer connections
CIA, defense industry, big oil that is
NEW and IMPROVED!
sugarcoated (lines of junk)
(The children watch)
puppets of politick play hand in hand with priests of industry, making war and drilling for oil in the Garden of Eden
(The children watch) the stewards turn junkie pumping the juice like a mainline habit never getting enough, even though it kills
Sin, sham, or shame, what's the difference?
(The children watch)
a psycho-logic, Dark Age mindset toasting tomorrows, as in burning futures with clean air and clean water sacrificed, blown away, as in wasted, by the engines of profit and progress who needs clean air and clean water anyway?
(The children watch) a psycho-logic, Dark Age mindset babbling on and on blah, blah, blah in crazed, grinning self-delusion spewing a litany of garbage philosophy "acceptable" levels of pollution and "clean" coal brainwash propaganda is the junkie's junk trying to shoot you in the head psycho-logic warfare
On sale!
Buy now, while supplies last!
hits of oxygen and plastic bottled water
(hey kid, get to the back of the line)
will that be cash or charge?
paper or plastic?
Bush's energy policy doesn't work and history shows this. It seems like the folks making real progress in the energy field are home power people—we've tripled in number in the last decade. What do we know that they don't?
If you are planning to buy PVs this summer, you may be disappointed. Demand for PV is now exceeding the supply. People are buying PV modules faster than they are being manufactured. This increase in PV sales is being driven by the recent utility blackouts.
In late May, I surveyed over 124 renewable energy dealers nationwide. I asked them how long it would take to get a PV module if they ordered it at that time. I also asked them if their businesses had grown within the last six months. Thirty-six dealers responded. They are waiting an average of two weeks for delivery of smaller PV modules, and an average of two months on modules larger than 85 watts. They also reported business increases from 50 percent to over 300 percent.
This clearly shows that many more folks are considering PV as an alternative to grid power. It also shows a need for more PV production to meet this increased demand. We need more PV dealers too, especially those who design and install complete systems.
Bush's energy policy takes us back ten years into an instant replay of his dad's energy policy. This policy of increased coal burning, increased oil burning, and increased use of nuclear power didn't work ten years ago, and it won't be any more successful today. This policy is what has gotten us into today's energy shortages, high energy prices, blackouts, and environmental degradation.
While Dubya is stuck in the past, many Americans seem to have other ideas. They are buying photovoltaics faster than ever before. They see the bright future of solar energy, even if Bush cannot.
Richard Perez, Home Power, PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520 • 530-475-3179 • Fax: 530-475-0836 [email protected]
Jason Powell, c/o Home Power, PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520 • 541-839-4662 • [email protected]
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Do we really want the one thing that gives us its resources unconditionally to suffer even more than it is suffering now? Nature, is a part of our being from the earliest human days. We respect Nature and it gives us its bounty, but in the recent past greedy money hungry corporations have made us all so destructive, so wasteful.


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