Twas a rainy day today. My brother went to chess in the morning, and then his friend's house in the afternoon. I was relatively productive today, working on both business and school stuff. In the afternoon I went and got a haircut. In the evening, our family came together for the first family meeting of this new year.

We talked a little, shared from devotions, and ended with prayer.

One of the quotes that can be found on Mitt Romney's campaign website is,

"No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."

This sounds appealing at first, but if you think about it a little, it really doesn't make sense. Why does he need the prayers of people of all faiths if they pray futile prayers to false gods? Either he does not believe in the existence of his own god, or he is simply saying what he thinks will get him into the white house (shocking!).

Mike Huckabee's highlighted quote on CNN is,

"My faith is my life -- it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. ... Real faith makes us humble and mindful, not of the faults of others, but of our own."

I don't think this is simply a nice sounding soundbyte, since Huckabee is an ordained southern baptist minister who worked full time as such for twelve years.

Another interesting thing between Huckabee and Romney is the money they have spent so far on their campaigns. So far, Romney has spent $53.6 million on his campaign, while Huckabee has spent just $1.6 million. Knowing this, it's pretty amazing that Huckabee won in Iowa today.

Here's a list of overall fundraising leaders found on CNN:

• Hillary Clinton $90,935,788
  
• Barack Obama $80,256,427
  
• Mitt Rommey $62,829,069
  
• Rudy Giuliani $47,253,521
  
• John McCain $32,124,785
  
• John Edwards $30,329,152
  
• Bill Richardson $18,699,937
  
• Fred Thompson $12,828,111
  
• Chris Dodd $13,598,152
  
• Ron Paul $8,268,453

I'm planning on apply to the 5th year Masters program at Berkeley that would give me a M.S. in Computer Science for just one additional year of studies, without needing to take the GRE. I'm filling out the admission application right now, but I'm stuck on the section that asks for my "Proposed MS Area of Concentration." I've looked through the various concentrations on the computer science page, but I can't decide what I'm interested enough in to pursue... I've narrowed down my choices to:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  
• Control, Intelligent Systems, and Robotics (CIR)
  
• Database Management Systems (DBMS)
  
• Graphics and Human-Computer Interaction (GHCI)
  
• Operating Systems & Networking (OSNT)
  
• Programming Systems (PS)
  
• Security (SEC)

Devotion time notes:

Romans 3

The first of three sections of this chapter is dedicated to answering the question, "If salvation is for both the Jews and the Gentiles, then what advantage is there in being a Jew?" Paul's answer? "Much in every way!"

The main privilege Paul points out is that, "they have been entrusted with the very words of God." The entire Old Testament was written in Hebrew and was both written about and preserved by the Jewish people. The Jewish people were God's chosen people, and the instrument through which he preserved the scriptures through the generations leading up to Christ. They were also the nation that he used in bringing about Christ for the salvation of all nations.

Though out of a lack of faith God's own people rejected the one who came to redeem them, God remains entirely faithful, and the prophecies he revealed long ago have been fulfilled. His chosen peoples' lack of faith does not reduce his own faithfulness, and we should readily accept that the whole world is unfaithful rather than question the unchanging faithfulness of God. Since God is absolutely faithful and holds to his word, we can have confidence in everything the scriptures tell us, regardless of whether the people of the world believe.

If the sinfulness of man helps to reveal the righteousness of God, then isn't God being unjust in bringing judgement on those who "glorify" him in this way? "Certainly not!" Paul says; God is entirely just. If our sinful nature, "enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory," why are we still condemned as sinners rather than welcomed as such? Does our wickedness not benefit God? Paul argues that asking these questions is comparable to saying, "Let us do evil that good may result," something that obviously merits condemnation.

Our justification does not come through works, or by obeying the laws of God, for everyone has broken these laws, and cannot perfectly abide by them. "We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin." Therefore, the law is not the means by which we obtain justification, but the instrument through which the sins of the world are revealed. This implicates all people, and paves the way for the third and final section of this chapter, in which Paul reveals how justification can be obtained.

With the birth of Christ, a new righteousness from God apart from obedience to the law has been revealed to all of mankind.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23

It is not by works or obedience to the law that we are saved, but through faith alone in Christ alone.

Christ's sacrifice was a sacrifice of atonement that demonstrated the justice of God. We can all share in this atoning sacrifice for our personal sins simply through faith. Prior to Christ's death, God had exercised his patience towards his people by allowing their sins to go unpunished, but simply covered by the blood of sacrificed animals, but the death of Christ was a necessary result of God's perfect justice. A just God must punish sins, and God did this through Jesus his son rather than through us sinners. Praise God.

We are not to boast of our salvation, for it is by faith and a work of God through grace. If our salvation and justification were by works, then we could surely deserve to boast, for our righteousness would come about by our own doing. However, since our saving faith in Christ comes to us by God's grace and not by our own works or desires, we have no right to boast in this, but must give all glory to God.

God is a God of infinite love and mercy, and extends the offer of salvation to all people. The Jews are a privileged people that God set apart for himself, and through a higher standard used them to carry his word through generations, but are not a people who possess exclusive rights to God's salvation.

Just because righteousness can no longer be obtained by obedience to the law does not mean the law should be ignored or discounted. We should obey the moral laws of God even though these laws are not the means by which we are saved.