Faith – Page 35 – Wanderings

Phishers Again!

joe May 13, 2008 Faith, General

No, that is not a mis-spelling. Phishing is what the bad guys and gals do. They put out some bait in the form of an email and reel in the suckers. Yes my friends, you too can fall victim to these creeps.

It looks honest enough that most people don’t even give it a second guess. They create the most beautiful bait by stealing the art (graphics) from a real bank’s web site. They then stitch together a beautiful email that you need to “check something” or “update your information”. Why they even include a link right in the email that you “just have to ‘click here’ to update your profile”, or some other inane thing.

When you click on the link, you are taken to the phisher’s website that just happens to look like your bank’s/store’s/credit card/etc. Once again, they have built a phony website that looks just like the real thing. They even have the ability to take your username and password (that you have now given them) and actually enter that on the REAL website, so that you don’t even know that you have been phished.

What brought this on you ask? Well, I got two request with a subject “IMPORTANT – Customer Service Message”. They looked just like the real thing that the bank sends me once a month to tell me that my “Online Statement” is ready. Very good counterfeiting! The clue though was when I ran my cursor over their link, and my mail program showed that the link with to some really weird location – like “Hepjingle.com”.

Sent those emails to the fraud department at the bank – like right now.

Reminds me of people who distort the Gospel message – it looks and sounds good. Just remember, the test is in the Word. That means that you have to read it. I know – it’s so much easier just to listen to somebody’s ideas and go along with them. Check it out – truth is truth.

Lost and Not Found

joe May 8, 2008 Church, Faith, General

Funny how something like a Bible can disappear. Mine did on Sunday. Had it with my tool bag and someother things that I carried out of the gym, but have looked for it off and on, and no where to be found. Good thing we live in a country where owning a Bible is not a crime. Just pulled out another one and started reading.

Finished James, and spend some time thinking about where to start. Felt that it was time to read through 1, 2 and 3 John again. Enough meat to kick start any day.

Thought about re-reading Philippians, but don’t want to mess with anyone who is going through Bay Hills U. That was a pretty great class. The class that I was with spent three nights going through the course. Most of it sunk in, but some is still getting absorbed. The hardest thing (for me anyhow) was trying to memorize verses that my brain has in another language (King James). Trying to say the three memory verses in NIV was like…well, I really can’t describe it well.

Let’s just say that getting through the class was easy and hard at the same time. I enjoyed going over the basics (again) and getting to meet some new people. Sometimes, I think it’s a good thing to look again at what your beliefs are built upon and how those beliefs ought to be lived out.

Rambling on here and havent’ said a thing about I John 1. More on that next time. For now, just remember that a house is built upon a foundation, not a roof.

A Few Missing Days

joe May 6, 2008 Faith

No way to remember everything that has happened since my last notes on Friday. Seem to have gotten very busy, and doing a lot of running around. That’s how life is, and we have to remember that (okay, I have to remember) it is not other people’s fault. It’s me that does not start off right. Something crosses my mind that needs doing, and that’s the direction I head.

Every day, we make decisions about what we will or won’t do. We can try to blame someone else, but look at it carefully. Were you put in chains and dragged somewhere? Or were you beaten and locked in a room? Kinda doubt it…

It’s what we do and what we are – sometimes, we need to tune out the “squeaking wheel” and tune in on what we need.

Finally finished James, and found two things at the end of chapter five – “prayer and praise”. Now, I know that could be the subject for a message from some pastor, but James simply says “Got a problem? Pray about it! Are you happy? Sing songs of praise”. That’s the way to start a day!