2 Thess 2:1-2
1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
* End Times and the antichrist are culturally popular topics * Stay glued to The Word in regard to end times ...we seem to get strange, mystical and weird quickly when arguing in this arena
1. Jesus Will Return 2000 years ago when this was written, it had been 30 years since Christ's resurrection and He had not returned. These people were wondering if they'd missed it. (Easy to understand since, 100 years ago, we might have never heard of things like last week's earthquake/tsunami in Japan.) So Paul is assuring them they have not missed it.
2. We Don't Have To Live In Fear Christians will win. Christ will never leave or fail or forsake you.
3. Make Sure your Primary Source is the Word v. 15 "...stand firm to the teachings we gave you.." If anyone says they know when the Lord will return, and gives you a date and time, you can be assured it will not be THAT day and time! Matt 24:36 "No one knows when ... only the Father..."
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
-30-
In honor of Opening Day, I post this picture sent to my by good man Brian Vernellis, formerly of The Times and a Michigan native. Beautiful human being. No doubt these two guys made some trips to Comiskey and Wrigley back in the day... The note below is from Brian and explains. And -30-, which i end most posts with, is old-school newspapering for "this is the end of the story," or "Seeya!" Type -30- and your editor knows you're done...
"Thought if there was anyone in the world who could appreciate this photo, it'd be you.
"I was in the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago having lunch. One wall of the place is devoted to all the old school reporters. Couldn't help but notice a "-30-" at the bottom of some of the photos. I think these gentlemen have gone to the great newsroom in the sky..."
-30-
Monday, March 28, 2011
Despite NFL Labor Woes ...
...some things never change.
This picture taken and emailed to me this weekend by my Mississippi contact, Stan. Good man. Hwy 49, 30 miles south of Clarksdale. It's a beautiful thing.
NCAA Tournament Update. Butler and Kentucky win Saturday night. I guess Kentucky wins it all. But all four of these teams are very, very fun to watch. In rooting order, I will go Butler, VCU, Kentucky, UConn. UConn is a distant fourth on the rooting for scale, and the chasm between VCU and Ky is wide, tho Kentucky is very, very fun to watch.
And I thank you.
-30-
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Happy Birthday (NCAA Tournament Edition)...
Well today is the birthday of The Biscuit and also of Mrs Jan at the U-Pac-It Coffee, Gas and Whatnot. Two of my favorite people. Happy Birthday to them.
And tomorrow is Dr. Fleet Feet's bday...This is all very heady fare.
As if that is not enough, the Sweet 16 begins today. I will not be taking calls. San Diego State over UCONN in a 2 vs 3 game, Florida over BYU in the game I most want to watch. Other winners are Duke, The Butler (in the game i second most want to watch even though I don't like watching Wisconsin play), Marquette over the Heels as an 11 beats a 2, Ohio State, and the VCUs over Florida State in an 11 vs. 10 matchup.
And i thank you.
-30-
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
And the Winners Are ...
(From the ethought files ... My dad gets to preach a sermon now and then in Georgia and a couple of weeks ago he used this as his title, working off the Academy Awards and whatnot. His was a different text, but the point was the same: No matter what happens, nothing can seperate the follower from the love of God.)
"Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 1:13-14 (NIV)
Earthquake. Tsunami.
Could things get any worse?
Sure, they could. Can. And did.
Nuclear meltdown woes.
Just when you think one tragedy tops the list, another comes in its wake. Recent events illustrate the certainty of uncertainty. We don't have enough orange cones to mark off all the hot spots.
Tragedy, some natural and some man-made. Mother Nature and human nature are full of surprises.
But certainty exists in The Word. The everlasting . . . the I Am. It has always been this way.
In the spring of the year, tragedy reminds us we live in a world fallen, while at the same time, buds and warmth bear witness to a God with the power to make all things new, a God of grace, the author of faith, the Father of a Son sent to save sinners . . . sinners like Paul, and like you, and like me. To a world that needs saving, this is The Good News.
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life." 1 Timothy 1:15-16(NIV)
-30-
"Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 1:13-14 (NIV)
Earthquake. Tsunami.
Could things get any worse?
Sure, they could. Can. And did.
Nuclear meltdown woes.
Just when you think one tragedy tops the list, another comes in its wake. Recent events illustrate the certainty of uncertainty. We don't have enough orange cones to mark off all the hot spots.
Tragedy, some natural and some man-made. Mother Nature and human nature are full of surprises.
But certainty exists in The Word. The everlasting . . . the I Am. It has always been this way.
In the spring of the year, tragedy reminds us we live in a world fallen, while at the same time, buds and warmth bear witness to a God with the power to make all things new, a God of grace, the author of faith, the Father of a Son sent to save sinners . . . sinners like Paul, and like you, and like me. To a world that needs saving, this is The Good News.
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life." 1 Timothy 1:15-16(NIV)
-30-
Monday, March 21, 2011
'It was a bad time. Billy Boy Watkins was dead...'
I have not read as much about the Vietnam War as I should have, but that has changed in the past month. I've read three books by Vietnam veteran Tim O'Brien, a wonderful writer and author of "Going After Cacciato," the 1979 National Book Award winner.
Cacciato, an Italian word pronounced "catch-ee-otto" which means "hunted"/"caught" in Italian. Two pages into the book you read this sentence, speaking of a soldier named Cacciato:
"In October, near the end of the month, Cacciato left the war."
His platoon mates chase him. In a way, they chase him all the way from Southeast Asia to Paris, which is where he vowed he'd go if he ever went AWOL. He figured it to be slightly more than 8,000 miles, walking.... "It could be done," the book's lead character figures.
Here's how "Going After Cacciato" begins...
"It was a bad time. Billy Boy Watkins was dead, and so was Frenchie Tucker. Billy Boy had died of fright, scared to death on the field of battle, and Frenchie Tucker had been shot thru the nose. Bernie Lynn and Lieutenant Sidney Martin had died in the tunnels. Pederson was dead and Rudy Chassler was dead. Buff was dead. Ready Mix was dead. They were all among the dead. .... When it was not raining, a low mist moved across the paddies, blinding the elements into a single gray element, and the war was cold and pasty and rotten..."
Boy's talented...
This weekend I read O'Brien's novel "In the Lake of the Woods," about the trauma faced by a vet and married state senator when secrets from the war surface. (It will not ruin the book for me to say I think he killed her, but ...) Memory ... love ... deception ... I'm going to have to read more stuff on My Lai now, maybe...When you read this book, keep in mind that some chapters are titled "Hypothesis." Just sayin...
If you've never read much about Vietnam, Tim O'Brien might be a good place to start...
-30-
Friday, March 18, 2011
Stealthy Beginning to a 'Best' Ending
"His mother said to the servants, whatever He says to you, do it." John 2:5(NIV)
Mary was there from the beginning to the end. She was in the stable at his birth, by the cross at his death.
Through the years, she must have taught Jesus the normal, everyday things a mother teaches a son. How to comb his hair. How to wash his clothes. How to bake a cake. How to tie his sandals. Maybe even how to say his first prayers.
But surely, in those final three years, that short time of His official ministry, Mary was the one learning, and Jesus was the one teaching.
Once she learned, she taught others. Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, a follower of Jesus.
Imagine this day: The wedding host had run out of wine, an embarrassing event in that culture, time, and place. They have no wine, Mary told Jesus. Even as she did, He must have been thinking of how it would all end, how His ministry, just beginning with this first miracle at a wedding in Cana, would end with His death on Calvary.
"Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come," Jesus said.
Moms know their children. Mary knew hers. Though this was only the first of His recorded miracles, even now His time was short, with none to waste. And so, Mary taught the others, quickly and simply, a mother's knowing testimony,"Whatever He says to you, do it."
They did. And then Jesus, as always, didn't just give them something better. He gave them the best.
Said the master of the banquet to the bridegroom, "You have saved the best wine until now."
And that is just like Jesus.
-30-
Mary was there from the beginning to the end. She was in the stable at his birth, by the cross at his death.
Through the years, she must have taught Jesus the normal, everyday things a mother teaches a son. How to comb his hair. How to wash his clothes. How to bake a cake. How to tie his sandals. Maybe even how to say his first prayers.
But surely, in those final three years, that short time of His official ministry, Mary was the one learning, and Jesus was the one teaching.
Once she learned, she taught others. Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, a follower of Jesus.
Imagine this day: The wedding host had run out of wine, an embarrassing event in that culture, time, and place. They have no wine, Mary told Jesus. Even as she did, He must have been thinking of how it would all end, how His ministry, just beginning with this first miracle at a wedding in Cana, would end with His death on Calvary.
"Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come," Jesus said.
Moms know their children. Mary knew hers. Though this was only the first of His recorded miracles, even now His time was short, with none to waste. And so, Mary taught the others, quickly and simply, a mother's knowing testimony,"Whatever He says to you, do it."
They did. And then Jesus, as always, didn't just give them something better. He gave them the best.
Said the master of the banquet to the bridegroom, "You have saved the best wine until now."
And that is just like Jesus.
-30-
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Why I Hate My Bracket
I hate my bracket, and here it is.
I hate my bracket because I, of all people, am the person who picked it.
My picks are too preppy. But picking all No. 1's, that's "picking like a girl." (No offense.)
The Zags will hose me. They always do. Kansas does too so I'm giving them a little rope but not much; they have hurt me too much.
Belmont? I hope so.
My faith is in Old Dominated and, foolishly, in San Diego State, coached by a man who won the title the last time i actually witnessed and covered a Final Four, which seems like about 200 years ago...
I probably should have ridden Purdon't a little longer ...
Syracuse won't sniff the Final Four but for some reason I've picked them to. And Notre Dame too. Notre Dame? I am an idiot.
I hate my bracket. And here it is.
EAST
Ohio State over George Mason
Kentucky over West Va
Syracuse over Xaviet
Washington over UNC
Kentucky over Ohio State
Syracuse over Washington
Syracuse over Kentucky
WEST
Duke over Michigan
Texas over Memphis
UConn over Cindy
SDSU over Temple
Texas over Duke
SDSU over UConn
SDSU over Texas
SOUTHWEST
Kansas over UNLV
Louisville over Richmand
Purdon't over Georgetown
Notre Dame over A&M
Louisville over Kansas
ND over Purdon't
ND over Louisville
SOUTHEAST
ODU over Pitt
Utah State over Belmont
BYU over Zags
Florida over Michigan State
ODU over Utah State
Florida over BYU
Florida over Old Domination
FINAL FOUR
ND beats Florida
San Diego State beats Syracuse
San Diego State 72, ND 68
I hate my bracket. It's the worst bracket ever. I hate it ....
-30-
I hate my bracket because I, of all people, am the person who picked it.
My picks are too preppy. But picking all No. 1's, that's "picking like a girl." (No offense.)
The Zags will hose me. They always do. Kansas does too so I'm giving them a little rope but not much; they have hurt me too much.
Belmont? I hope so.
My faith is in Old Dominated and, foolishly, in San Diego State, coached by a man who won the title the last time i actually witnessed and covered a Final Four, which seems like about 200 years ago...
I probably should have ridden Purdon't a little longer ...
Syracuse won't sniff the Final Four but for some reason I've picked them to. And Notre Dame too. Notre Dame? I am an idiot.
I hate my bracket. And here it is.
EAST
Ohio State over George Mason
Kentucky over West Va
Syracuse over Xaviet
Washington over UNC
Kentucky over Ohio State
Syracuse over Washington
Syracuse over Kentucky
WEST
Duke over Michigan
Texas over Memphis
UConn over Cindy
SDSU over Temple
Texas over Duke
SDSU over UConn
SDSU over Texas
SOUTHWEST
Kansas over UNLV
Louisville over Richmand
Purdon't over Georgetown
Notre Dame over A&M
Louisville over Kansas
ND over Purdon't
ND over Louisville
SOUTHEAST
ODU over Pitt
Utah State over Belmont
BYU over Zags
Florida over Michigan State
ODU over Utah State
Florida over BYU
Florida over Old Domination
FINAL FOUR
ND beats Florida
San Diego State beats Syracuse
San Diego State 72, ND 68
I hate my bracket. It's the worst bracket ever. I hate it ....
-30-
We (Were) Gathered Here Today ...
... to watch "Dearly Beloved."
The play ran four days last week and was the Dixie's biggest money-maker of the season so far. I saw it three times. I watched it so much I could actually tell Tina Jo and her identical twin sister apart.
Standing in the cast shot above, on the left and in prayer mode, is Casey Allen. He played the role of a UPS driver and minister-in-training, Justin Waverly. He is "pulled off his UPS route to officiate in the ceremony when the regular minister ends up in the county drunk tank on the day of the wedding," and hijinks ensue. I think my favorite line of Casey's was between a shouted "Oh thank you sweet Lordamighty!" and an understated "Well, this is a MUCH better sign..."
I loved it and thank the cast and look forward to the next Dixie gig in my continued show of support for the arts and what have you...
-30-
Monday, March 14, 2011
Making the Most of Suffering (2 Thessalonians, 2nd of a series)
2 Thess 1
* We need to let troubles make us better
Three words to look at from this text
1. Trust (v 3-4) "We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring."
"your trust is growing exceedingly"
A. simple dependence on God
B. Faithfullness TO God
2. Love (v 3-4) "your love is increasing (or super abounding)"
3. Glorify ( v 11-12) "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ"
"so the name may be glorified (to bring positive attention to)"
* The devil attacks us through our pain so we'll bring shame to God's name. Instead, we want to bring fame-glory to God's name
* A good prayer to start the day: "God help me not to do anything that will bring shame to your today...Help me instead to bring fame to your name..."
* God says to let pain make you better, not bitter...
* We need to let troubles make us better
Three words to look at from this text
1. Trust (v 3-4) "We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring."
"your trust is growing exceedingly"
A. simple dependence on God
B. Faithfullness TO God
2. Love (v 3-4) "your love is increasing (or super abounding)"
3. Glorify ( v 11-12) "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ"
"so the name may be glorified (to bring positive attention to)"
* The devil attacks us through our pain so we'll bring shame to God's name. Instead, we want to bring fame-glory to God's name
* A good prayer to start the day: "God help me not to do anything that will bring shame to your today...Help me instead to bring fame to your name..."
* God says to let pain make you better, not bitter...
Busiest Day of the Year Because ...
...at some point, you've got to get your NCAA Bracket filled out. Will do it tonight. Will pick Syracuse, San Diego State, Notre Dame and Pitt in the Final Four. Would pick Kansas instead of ND but Kansas continues to stick it to me each and every year, which i am physically sick about.
Quickly, moving on...
I wish I'd written this book. I liked the story. No fancy writing; just an unusual story told well. And the book had a neat structure, maybe a bit like 'Big Fish' (which I THINK is the name of the movie I'm thinking about, when a dad as he is dying recounts his life to his son...) Look forward to the movie, which debuts April 22ish. Should be fun to look at ... circus, back in the day, etc. Things we are not used to seeing. And I love a pacyderm. You know it, I know it, the American people know it.
Quickly, moving on...
I wish I'd written this book. I liked the story. No fancy writing; just an unusual story told well. And the book had a neat structure, maybe a bit like 'Big Fish' (which I THINK is the name of the movie I'm thinking about, when a dad as he is dying recounts his life to his son...) Look forward to the movie, which debuts April 22ish. Should be fun to look at ... circus, back in the day, etc. Things we are not used to seeing. And I love a pacyderm. You know it, I know it, the American people know it.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Stealthy and 'Best' Beginning ...
(E-thought chronicles, continued ... )
"His mother said to the servants, whatever He says to you, do it." John 2:5 (NIV)
Mary was there from the beginning to the end. She was in the stable at his birth,
by the cross at his death.
Through the years, she must have taught Jesus the normal, everyday things a mother
teaches a son. How to comb his hair. How to wash his clothes. How to bake a cake.
How to tie his sandals. Maybe even how to say his first prayers.
But surely, in those final three years, that short time of His official ministry,
Mary was the one learning, and Jesus was the one teaching.
Once she learned, she taught others. Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, a follower
of Jesus.
Imagine this day: The wedding host had run out of wine, an embarrassing event in
that culture, time, and place. They have no wine, Mary told Jesus. Even as she
did, He must have been thinking of how it would all end, how His ministry, just
beginning with this first miracle at a wedding in Cana, would end with His death
on Calvary.
"Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come," Jesus
said.
Moms know their children. Mary knew hers. Though this was only the first of His
recorded miracles, even now His time was short, with none to waste. And so, Mary
taught the others, quickly and simply, a mother's knowing testimony,"Whatever He
says to you, do it."
They did. And then Jesus, as always, gave them not something better, but instead
gave them the best.
Said the master of the banquet to the bridegroom, "You have saved the best wine
until now."
And that is just like Jesus.
-30-
"His mother said to the servants, whatever He says to you, do it." John 2:5 (NIV)
Mary was there from the beginning to the end. She was in the stable at his birth,
by the cross at his death.
Through the years, she must have taught Jesus the normal, everyday things a mother
teaches a son. How to comb his hair. How to wash his clothes. How to bake a cake.
How to tie his sandals. Maybe even how to say his first prayers.
But surely, in those final three years, that short time of His official ministry,
Mary was the one learning, and Jesus was the one teaching.
Once she learned, she taught others. Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, a follower
of Jesus.
Imagine this day: The wedding host had run out of wine, an embarrassing event in
that culture, time, and place. They have no wine, Mary told Jesus. Even as she
did, He must have been thinking of how it would all end, how His ministry, just
beginning with this first miracle at a wedding in Cana, would end with His death
on Calvary.
"Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come," Jesus
said.
Moms know their children. Mary knew hers. Though this was only the first of His
recorded miracles, even now His time was short, with none to waste. And so, Mary
taught the others, quickly and simply, a mother's knowing testimony,"Whatever He
says to you, do it."
They did. And then Jesus, as always, gave them not something better, but instead
gave them the best.
Said the master of the banquet to the bridegroom, "You have saved the best wine
until now."
And that is just like Jesus.
-30-
Some Thoughts on Suffering
Part 1 in a series on 2 Thessalonians, by Chris Craig, FBC Ruston. These are my (fallible) notes ...
2 Thess 1:1-10
* We all experience suffering
* 2 Thessalonians was likely written 51 or 52 AD by Paul, several months after 1 Thessalonians. Thessalonica was a port city of 200,000 then, on the Aegean Highway...a progressive place ... this second letter to the new church there was a bit more harsh and firm than Paul's first
* Suffering is a part of life's ride
1. It's a part of life
v. 4 -- "persecutions" ... being pursued to be hurt
"trials" ... things pressing on you
2. Part of the Godly Life
Why is suffering (v. 5) a part of the godly life
Because your life might convict those who are causing you to suffer
Some people just don't like nice people
'Religious' people are going to be offended by true servants of Christ, as they were offended by Christ
The devil attacks the godly
3. Part of Being a Godly Church
Satan hates the God-centered church
4. God Will Even The Score Some Day
v 6 ... 'God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you...
God evens the score here and now too...Gal 6:7 -- ''Be not deceived, God is not mocked...''
God evens the score in eternity
God is paying attention, He is not confused...
God will judge perfectly and justly and at the perfect time
-30-
2 Thess 1:1-10
* We all experience suffering
* 2 Thessalonians was likely written 51 or 52 AD by Paul, several months after 1 Thessalonians. Thessalonica was a port city of 200,000 then, on the Aegean Highway...a progressive place ... this second letter to the new church there was a bit more harsh and firm than Paul's first
* Suffering is a part of life's ride
1. It's a part of life
v. 4 -- "persecutions" ... being pursued to be hurt
"trials" ... things pressing on you
2. Part of the Godly Life
Why is suffering (v. 5) a part of the godly life
Because your life might convict those who are causing you to suffer
Some people just don't like nice people
'Religious' people are going to be offended by true servants of Christ, as they were offended by Christ
The devil attacks the godly
3. Part of Being a Godly Church
Satan hates the God-centered church
4. God Will Even The Score Some Day
v 6 ... 'God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you...
God evens the score here and now too...Gal 6:7 -- ''Be not deceived, God is not mocked...''
God evens the score in eternity
God is paying attention, He is not confused...
God will judge perfectly and justly and at the perfect time
-30-
Friday, March 4, 2011
Gimme a Little A, (Don't Necessarily) Gimme a Little B...
Little Bee. Read it this weekend and you can read more about it here.
I enjoyed it but will not read Little C. I've had enough. (That's a joke...)
Rating: Six of 10.
Some pretty writing by a dependable, knows-what-he's-doing author and newspaper column writer. I wish I'd written it and am glad I read it. The lives of two women intersect in an unlikely way, unlikely meaning "in my world" but much more likely in the setting of the book, which is modern day Europe and Nigera. It's a piece of life I haven't thought of much so it did me good to read it (hopefully).
On deck: Water for Elephants, The Last Boy...
-30-
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Happy Birthday!...
...to my mom and also to my mom-in-law. The deal is, they rock. March 3 is a good good day.
-30-
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Duke Snider, 1926-2011
Bill Madden: "With his passing, all the regulars — catcher Roy Campanella, first baseman Gil Hodges, second baseman Junior Gilliam, shortstop Pee Wee Reese, third baseman Billy Cox, right fielder Carl Furillo and Jackie Robinson -- of those star-crossed Dodger teams that won six National League pennants but just one World Series in Brooklyn from 1947-57 — are now gone. Of them, Robinson, Reese and Campanella are also enshrined in Cooperstown."
A thoughtful essay by Pos is here.
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