Berean Bytes: Password Protection, The Cult of Politics, and Book Recommendations
Berean Bytes is an article I put out once in a while that is just a hodgepodge of things I have come across or found interest in. Here are a few things you might also find interesting out on the “interwebs”.
Password Protection is Your Key
So this is the “byte” part of Berean Bytes. I’m a geek. I’ve been using computers for most of my life, and my job revolves around helping companies get a presence on the internet. That being said, I see my fair share of the horrors of poor security. Hackers get smarter and smarter. It seems every day there is another major breach. One of the most important things you can do to protect your accounts is to: 1) use a unique password for every account, and 2) use a strong password that is not easily guessed.
The majority of people I talk to use the same password for everything, and that password is usually weak - meaning it is easily guessed and short. (For example, never use part of our name, address, birthdate, etc. as part of your password.)
So, what are you to do? You have hundreds of passwords to keep up. The solution is easy. Use a password manager. Password managers like 1Password, Bitwarden, and Strongbox all store your passwords for you. You only need to remember a single master password to log into any of your accounts. More importantly, the password manager will create strong and unique passwords. I cannot stress the importance of using a password manager. It’s not if, but when one of your accounts gets hacked. If you use the same password for everything, if one account is hacked, the hacker now has your password for ALL your accounts. Terrifying, isn’t it?
The Cylinder - Audio Version
The Cylinder is an allegorical short story I wrote a few years ago. It is in the style of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress and focuses on how believers and unbelievers view death. I recently had the text voiced over and sound effects added. Take a listen…
New Book Recommendations
I have been enjoying reading two of Alec Motyer’s By the Day books. Motyer is one of the premier Old Testament scholars. (He and Dr. Ralph Davis are my favorite OT theologians.) In both editions, Motyer provides his own translation of Psalms and Isaiah into chunks that can be consumed each day. In addition, excellent notes are provided. Lastly, at the end of each section, a “Pause for Thought” synopsis is included. Unlike most devotionals (which I’m not a fan of), this is more focused on the actual text of Scripture. You can pick up a copy from Amazon or from your favorite Christian store.
The Gospel is Not an American Gospel!
You’ve probably seen this clip of a pastor going off on how politics has become a cult in American culture, and sadly within the church. In particular, this pastor puts into perspective the recent amalgamation of the bible that Donald Trump promoted that contains the constitution alongside the bible. I know nothing about this pastor, but listening to just this clip, I have to say I entirely agree with his stance on the focus of Jesus Christ and the right way to view the gospel in perspective. John Newton shared the same sentiment in his stance on politics. Watch and see what you think…