Learning

Studying: Isaiah 19, Psalm 74
Memorizing: Romans 1:1-30
Thoughts: Good

I now know what it means to be a victim of identity theft. Before you read on, everything is okay. We're not high and dry or anything.

Yesterday I noticed what appeared to be some unusual ATM withdrawals here around St. Petersburg. What was particularly odd was that is showed that a withdrawal had been made yesterday, when we, in fact, didn't make any. I wasn't too alarmed mainly because since we're overseas I thought that sometimes things could be posted a little late. Also, we have just one ATM card for our bank in the U.S. It never leaves our possession, so I thought "It's impossible for someone to withdraw money from an ATM without the card. Little did I know.

So I called my bank yesterday afternoon and asked them about charges being posted delayed. They said that they didn't know if that was the case or not, so we setup an experiment. This evening I went to a local ATM, make a small withdrawal and noted the exact time and place. When I got back I called our back in the States. The transaction had showed up immediately. Something was awry. The lady on the phone then proceeded to ask me "Did you try to buy $3000 in clothes yesterday?" That definitely caught my attention.

Thankfully the card was declined with the person tried to purchase the clothes. In many ways I'm thankful because this confirmed that something no good was going on. We immediately canceled the card and locked out the account.

Because I'm posting this on the internet I want to be careful what we say. You're probably wondering "so if your account is locked out how can you live?" Let me just say that everything is okay, we have other means, don't worry.

This morning I was teaching Bible at the International Academy (The English School for mostly Expat kids). We've been working our way through 1 Kings when we came to chapters 18 & 19. In Chapter 18 Elijah confronts the 450 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel before the people of Israel. Most of you probably already know the story. A "showdown" occurs in which both Elijah and the prophets of Baal build alters and each one calls upon his god (God) to send down fire. Well, of course, not being real, Baal doesn't hear the cry of the prophets of Baal, even though they wail, cry and cut themselves for many hours. Then Elijah steps up, has the people pour water all over his altar, numerous times in fact, and prays to God. The Lord sends such a fire down from heaven that not only is the altar consumed but also the rocks and the dust. The people of Israel fall down on their faces, and soon thereafter the prophets of Baal are slain.

But, oh, if the story only ended there. Soon after this Jezebel finds out and wants to kill Elijah. So Elijah, the man who had just stood before the people of Israel and confronted the 450 prophets of Baal, who had just seen God send such a tremendous fire down from heaven, flees for his life. I'm not trying to be critical of Elijah here, but what we talked about today is how believers can so quickly forget what God has done in the past.

We got ripped off today. It would be easy for me to despair, but by the grace of God I am not. He has always sustained and cared for us. Will he suddenly stop?