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This fall is going to be good for my iPod. Though I haven’t purchased it yet, Shane and Shane have a new album out, Phil Wickham’s album comes out October 2nd and David Crowder Band’s is released on September 25 (click here to listen to partial tracks). I’m especially looking forward to DCB’s “Remedy” album. There’s something infectious and deeply authentic about their music and even though I’ve played the album countless times, their songs still move me.

It’s Thursday, and in case you missed it last week, I’ll be posting tips, advice and other tech related information. I’ve found that too many computer users are simply unaware of how to protect themselves and keep themselves safe online.

The picture on this post refers to the second Tuesday of every month which is the day Microsoft releases updates for its operating systems.

Thus, today’s tip is simple, yet amazingly ignored by most users: Update, update update! A computer that hasn’t been updated with current software is vulnerable to all sorts of hacks and security flaws.

Last week I posted about browsers that people use when visiting my blog. I checked a few minutes ago and of the 74% of users that viewed my site with Internet Explorer, 68% used version 6.0, 31% used 7.0 and 1% used 5.23.

Internet Explorer 7.0 has been available for months and provides a more secure browsing experience and yet 68% of the people visiting this page haven’t yet updated their browser. This isn’t good. If that is you, immediately go and download it here.

So how do you keep your computer up to date? For your operating system (this applies to XP), go to Start>Control Panel>Security Center. Once you are here, make sure that Automatic Updates is “On”. Then click on the link to mange settings and adjust them so that “Automatic” is selected. The time isn’t critical, but you can change it if you want it to reflect your computer usage.

Whenever a program asks to update, let it. Here are a few that you should periodically check:

• iTunes (has regular updates)
• Windows Media Player (the current version is 11)
• Java Player (check here)
• Flash Player (check here (scroll down to check the latest version for your system)
• Security Programs (Norton, McAfee, AVG, etc. all should have “update” buttons in their menus)
• Microsoft Office (these programs are not updated with the regular Windows update; go here to check your software. Note: this MUST be done in Internet Explorer)

There are several other programs that could be listed, but the key is to let them update and occasionally check them to make sure you are as secure as possible. This is such a simple thing to do, but too many people simply ignore it and make a huge mistake in the process.

Update, update, update! I can’t say it enough.

Tonight in youth service I spoke about the fourth habit in our series, Involvement in Ministry. We talked about how many people view the church as a service industry. “What can the church do for me?” instead of “What can I do for the church?”

One of the things Martin Luther is known for (other than his 95 Thesis) is the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. This refers to the understanding that, as New Testament believers, everyone has equal access to God. We no longer need a man to act as a mediator for us to God.

The idea comes from 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

Obviously, this effects our understanding of our need (or in this case the lack of a need) for others in our relationship with Christ. This idea leads to “personal relationship with Jesus” and other language. However, the next step in this thought process is to understand that the priest (the believer) doesn’t just go to God of his own behalf, but for the people (the world) around them as well. Thus, we all have a responsibility to minister and not just be spectators.

But there’s another doctrine that applies here. It’s the prophethood of all believers. This idea comes from Numbers 11 when Moses has appointed the 70 elders to help carry his load. Apparently two didn’t make it to the anointing ceremony. When they start prophesying in the camp, outside of the tent, Joshua gets a bit flustered. He informs Moses and encourages him to stop them. Moses’ response is amazing. Verse 29 says, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

I believe Moses is speaking to a future time when His Spirit would rest on His people in such a way that they would be empowered to serve Him. On the day of Pentecost, that was fulfilled and now we live with the mandate and the prophetic voice to declare God’s Word to the world.

These roles apply to us all. We’ve been chosen and transformed for the purpose of being tools in the hands of our God. Let’s examine our passions and our gifts in order to find areas of ministry where we can serve effectively and with joy.

I love wikipedia. It’s a great place to find information. But as most people know, it’s not always 100% accurate.

The way wikipedia works is by allowing anyone to add and edit content on the site. The idea is that information from a wide group of people will be more balanced and thorough than only one source. Whenever someone edits a page, their IP address is logged with the changes.

Someone developed a way to track down these IP addresses and correlate them to the changes that were made in the content. You can check out the site here, and search for companies or organizations to see if changes have been made from their IP. Here’s a few of the changes that are mentioned in the Totally Wired blog:

A Scientology IP added a link to the Kurt Cobain page that suggests the singer’s childhood Ritalin prescription led him to suicide. An Exxon IP cleaned up the section on the effects of the Valdez oil spill, cheerfully noting “six of the largest salmon harvests in history were recorded in the decade immediately following the spill.” A Philip Morris IP deleted this sentence from a history paragraph of the “Marlboro (cigarette)” page: “It emerged as the number one youth-initiation brand.”

Anyway, I did my own search of “Assemblies of God”. Here’s what I came up with (all are from Southwestern Assembly of God University):

• Someone realizes that wikipedia is editable and defaces a page with a comment about it.
• Apparently someone from the college thinks they are a foreign dignitary.
• Someone doesn’t want to acknowledge that Jimmy Swaggart attended there.
• Another person defaces a page about Jehovah’s Witnesses (how does this help anything?).
• Apparently this Southwestern student knows more about Carrie Underwood’s hygiene than her success on American Idol (the best one of the group).

I’m amazed at these edits. Especially the 3rd and 4th. How does covering up the truth and defacing information help the advancement of the Gospel? I realize these aren’t huge problems. But, as the saying goes, “the Devil is in the details.” It’s the little things, when added up, that lead to problems. I guess I just think it’s sad and it’s a poor reflection of what we should be like. I don’t mean to be preachy, but I just think we should have higher standards for how we deal with the world. Something about honesty, sincerity, grace, mercy, love and humility seem like they should fit here.

And by the way, remind me to never shake Carrie Underwood’s hand.

I came across this video on another blog the other day. It’s priceless and pitiful all at the same time. Watch Mario’s face at the end.