1/10/13

"Jeffry"



Click on the above link to view

This link to "Jeffry" was surprising to me.  Even though I had heard it numerous times, still it made me immediately think of verse four in this passage from Paul's letter to Titus.

Titus, Chapter 2
  1 But say the things which fit sound doctrine,  2 that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in patience:  3 and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;  4 that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,  5 to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God’s word may not be blasphemed. 

Question: Do younger women really need to be taught to love their husbands and children?  The answer is apparently... YES!!!  And after seeing this video again, the answer becomes-- YES, YES, YES!!!  When my children were little, I knew they were difficult and understood why my wife was "stressed" sometimes.  Since I didn't see it directly, I often didn't think much of HER problems during the day.  But seeing "Jeffry" again reminded me of how hard it is to be a good parent (not to mention a good spouse).  Husbands, be sure to give your wives an extra big kiss today and tell her how much you love her.  And if you have a child like Jeffry, give her two!!!

BOOZE, BOOZE, BOOZE


Spending Time with Jim McGuiggan
 
BOOZE, BOOZE, BOOZE

The booze industry use to issue warnings to “binge” drinkers; they addressed the “Jekkyl and Hyde” women that “binge” drink. This is another one of the buzzwords. The booze problem is always laid at the feet of someone else—never the booze industry that makes the stuff that “binge” drinkers are made of. You understand that they’re not talking about the girls and fellows who stagger home quietly several times a week, usually over the weekend, drunk but not troublesome. They’re happy with such people so long as they don’t hurt the booze business’ reputation. No, they’re talking about those that stagger home drunk and on the way create problems, beat the blood out of one another in the street, lie in the gutter or smash up things and abuse or neglect whoever is at home.
[“Binge” language is no longer popular with the booze industry. It’s a bit too crass and, in addition, they’re assaulting some of their best customers. Besides, that kind of talk only generates images that the booze industry wants to keep out of the public eye.]
If you bring their reputation as sellers of poison into question they call you names, like “binger” or “Jekkyl & Hyde”. The most abused drug in the world—alcohol! The first thing the booze hits is your power to discriminate—but the booze-makers hold you responsible for not discriminating. Everybody is to be blamed for the havoc in society in general and in the home in particular—everybody, that is, except the booze industry! I’ve had more than one person tell me that the problem lay in those who couldn’t and wouldn’t control their booze intake. I had a woman tell me the same thing about marijuana. And why not—if booze is fine why isn’t marijuana? [This same lady argued in favor of the responsible use of cocaine.]
The booze people feverishly promote and sell the poison and the government spends multiplied millions of dollars trying to keep up with the social carnage.
In light of the statistics on planetary deaths, maiming, abuse, deprivation, crime, destruction of families, and whatever else that comes with booze, isn’t it almost laughable to still hear the serious announcements about passive smoking? Is it not astonishing that there’s a law against driving without a seat belt and no law against the sale of booze that necessitates laws for fear of mayhem on the roads? Do you know what keeps this from being humorous? It’s the tragedy that those in power are serious!
Though it’s true that the HIV = AIDS scam no longer grabs headlines and good sense is in some areas prevailing and needy people are being fed, given clean water, offered medical treatment that truly does help [antibiotics and such]—though all that’s true, governments are still pouring millions into paying for anti-viral meds that the pharmaceutical companies now have a phenomenally difficult time selling in America or in the West. 
No one anywhere has proved that the (alleged) HIV virus has a functional/physical link to any disease of any kind much less the “marker diseases” of what’s called AIDS. (The “marker” diseases are common medical problems that have been around long before AIDS was invented. If you die of TB but aren’t known to be HIV positive your death certificate has TB as the cause. If you’re known to have the HIV antibody and you die of TB the death certificate shows AIDS as the cause. Isn’t it marvelous?)  
Serious war is declared against the still [after thirty years of massively funded research] unproven HIV theory while the open and before-our-eyes truth about the booze industry’s product is grandly ignored. Worldwide, it’s involved in death, maiming, killings, child and spouse and parental abuse, the destruction of marriages, health problems, cost to society, police presence and court time—it’s involved in all that and more beyond calculation. It swallows up multiplied billions of dollars that could be used to create jobs, further medical research, fund housing construction, or whatever!
“It pays taxes!” It pays taxes? That’s what the tobacco industry said! “It creates jobs!” That’s what the tobacco industry said! “Tobacco is physically linked with disease.” Yes, and booze is socially linked with more agony and death than tobacco ever was or could be. If tobacco has physically killed its thousands the booze industry socially [and otherwise] has killed its tens of millions.
Arrrrgggghhhhh!
Western governments spend millions of dollars urging drivers not even to take one drink because it’s too risky. It’s too risky because the drinker might drink more and maybe even go over the legal limit. Is that not revealing? Booze is a thief and a robber! Why is a legal limit set? Because booze is booze and it does what everyone knows it does.
Then the hypocritical booze industry promotes its drug with beautiful young women and handsome young men partying, deliriously happy. Then for a few seconds they add a tiny worded appeal, “Enjoy our product responsibly.”
The tobacco industry has felt the power of opposition but the booze industry bosses and stockholders? They must laugh all the way to the bank as they’re driven in their big Mercs or smile at their sizeable retirement money—they laugh at what they get away with. No smoking adverts on television but booze and great sex, booze and elegance, booze and “the great life”, booze and humor, booze and holding on to your dreams, booze and happy family life—all over the screen, day in and day out.
If society was peopled only with people as strong as Michael the Archangel or as pure as Mary the mother of Jesus or as uncompromising as Daniel who stared down the lions and Gentile kings—if the world was populated with that sort of people booze wouldn’t be a problem.
“I enjoy a beer [and I suppose a vodka or some such thing if he feels he needs something stiffer] when I choose,” one preaching type told me; “It’s a matter of drinking responsibly,” he said.
And the booze industry smiles at such a wise man—a wise Bible teacher who shapes his congregation.
If you think sexual predators groom children you need to remember that the booze industry does the very same thing with its fruit juices and pop drinks with low levels of alcohol in them. [“We’re teaching them to handle alcohol responsibly.” They’re always doing us favors.]
Even liberties can become sinful—Romans 14:13-23 and 1 Corinthians 8:11-13, for example [to be reflected on theologically as well as exegetically].
In addition, there never was in the Bible anything like the modern booze industry with its high-powered booze. It’s a damnable plague and feeds on the vulnerable. 
And it isn't enough to be able to quote scripture to support a practice. The Pharisees did that in Matthew to justify their abuse of women and Americans and other nations did that in support of slavery when they quoted Peter and Paul.
To read scriptures to justify what we want to do or to act on "liberties" that support an industry with such a horrendous record as the booze industry has is no wise thing.
If we’re free to drink it then we're free to share it. If we're free to share it we're free to sell it. If we're free to sell it then we're free to own bars and distilleries. Would that be “responsible”?
Paul, the apostle of the free Spirit [F.F. Bruce called him that]! No one spoke more about freedom—yes? But in light of the love of Jesus Christ did he seem to be free? In 1 Corinthians 9 and in 2 Corinthians 5:14 he said he lived his life the way he did because “the love of Christ leaves me no choice” [NEB]. He said one died for all that they that live might no longer live unto themselves but unto Him that died for them and rose again.
I don’t know how to work all that out in daily living and it might well be that in some ways I don’t want to know. If that’s the case I need forgiveness—and I certainly do because my own life is an ongoing struggle with sin.
Still I think it’s true: the booze industry is against everything a disciple of the Lord Jesus is for and for everything a follower of Jesus Christ is against.
Iris Murdoch and Stanley Hauerwas are right; before ethics is a way of doing things it is a way of seeing things. It isn’t that we choose different things from the same world—we see different worlds. “We can only act,” said Hauerwas, “within the world we can envision and we can envision the world rightly only as we are trained to see.”
Could Jesus give the nod of approval to the booze industry and quote texts to say his Holy Father gave it to us to gladden our hearts? I don’t think so!
He who fought all that enslaves people would surely fight such a business; a business that has shaped society and has been shaped by our sinful human society, and even as we watch it helps to destroy the peace and joy and health and usefulness of multiplied millions of our fellow-humans.
I simply can’t see the Church’s approval of the booze industry—tacit or otherwise—as giving the Lord Jesus pleasure or furthering his kingdom purpose.
 

Bible Reading, Jan. 10


Jan. 10
Genesis 10

Gen 10:1 Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
Gen 10:3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
Gen 10:4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
Gen 10:5 Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.
Gen 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
Gen 10:7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
Gen 10:8 Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.
Gen 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh."
Gen 10:10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Gen 10:11 Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
Gen 10:12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city).
Gen 10:13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
Gen 10:14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.
Gen 10:15 Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,
Gen 10:16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite,
Gen 10:17 the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite,
Gen 10:18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
Gen 10:19 The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you go toward Gerar, to Gaza; as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, to Lasha.
Gen 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, in their nations.
Gen 10:21 To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.
Gen 10:22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
Gen 10:23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
Gen 10:24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.
Gen 10:25 To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother's name was Joktan.
Gen 10:26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
Gen 10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
Gen 10:28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
Gen 10:29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
Gen 10:30 Their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
Gen 10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, after their nations.
Gen 10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations. Of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

Daniel, Faith In The Face Of Fire, Mark Copeland

                          "THE BOOK OF DANIEL"

                   Faith In The Face Of Fire (3:1-30)

INTRODUCTION

1. In Dan 1, we were introduced to three companions of Daniel:
   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego...
   a. Like Daniel, they were young men taken from Judah into captivity
      and trained to serve before the king - Dan 1:6-7
   b. Like Daniel, they were blessed by God and impressed the king
      after their period of training - Dan 1:17-20

2. Dan 3 reveals more about the character of these three young men...
   a. In recounting an incident that has fascinated many, both young
      and old
   b. Like Dan 1, it illustrates the power of a strong faith in those
      who are young

[This inspiring story, which I like to call "Faith In The Face Of
Fire", begins by describing...]

I. THEIR TRIAL

   A. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO IT...
      1. Nebuchadnezzar's image, and his command to worship it - Dan 3:
         1-7
      2. The accusation against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego - Dan 3:8-12
      3. The king's threat of the fiery furnace - Dan 3:13-15

   B. THE NATURE OF THEIR TRIAL...
      1. To save their situation
         a. They had been promoted over the affairs of Babylon - Dan 3:12
         b. They would lose their position as well as their lives
      2. To sacrifice their conscience
         a. All they needed to do was to conform outwardly
         b. Of course, that would have meant disobedience to God - Exo 20:4-5

   C. WE MAY FACE SIMILAR TRIALS TODAY...
      1. To save our situation, such as:
         a. Our popularity at school, by doing things our peers or
            teacher do not see wrong
         b. Our position at work, by doing that which our boss or
            company requires which may be illegal, unethical or immoral
      2. To sacrifice our conscience
         a. It would be easy to conform outwardly, to "go along with
            the crowd"
         b. But our conscience would condemn us, and so would God

[Likely we all have been tempted in some way like this.  How did we
react?  How should we have reacted?  How did Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-Nego react?  Let's consider...]

II. THEIR TESTIMONY

   A. THEY DEMONSTRATED FAITH...
      1. In the power of God - Dan 3:16-17
         a. That God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace
         b. If it was His will
      2. In the will of God - Dan 3:18
         a. If it was God's will not to deliver it, so be it!
         b. They would still not worship other gods, nor the gold
            image!

   B. THEY DETERMINED TO SERVE GOD NO MATTER WHAT...
      1. Like Job in the midst of his affliction - Job 1:20-21; 13:15
      2. Like Habakkuk who would praise God even in suffering - Hab 3:
         17-19
      3. Like the apostles who rejoiced to suffer in His name - Ac 5:
         27-29
      4. Like Polycarp who offered this prayer as he was being burned
         at the stake:

        "O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Thy beloved and blessed
         Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the knowledge
         of Thee, the God of angels and powers and of all creation and
         of the whole race of the righteous, who live in Thy presence;

        "I bless Thee for that Thou hast granted me this day and hour,
         that I might receive a portion amongst the number of martyrs
         in the cup of Thy Christ unto resurrection of eternal life,
         both of soul and of body, in the incorruptibility of the Holy
         Spirit.

        "May I be received among these in Thy presence this day, as a
         rich and acceptable sacrifice, as Thou didst prepare and
         reveal it beforehand, and hast accomplished it, Thou that art
         the faithful and true God.

        "For this cause, yea and for all things, I praise Thee, I bless
         Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal and heavenly High
         Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, through whom with Him
         and the Holy Spirit be glory both now and for the ages to
         come. Amen.'
                                      - From The Martyrdom Of Polycarp

[Such examples are truly "Faith In The Face Of Fire"!  This is what it
means to have faith, trust, and commitment to the Lord.  What about our
own personal trials at school or work?  Have we been true to God, no
matter the cost?  Finally, consider...]

III. THEIR TRIUMPH

   A. THE REST OF THE CHAPTER REVEALS...
      1. How they were saved in the fiery furnace - Dan 3:19-25
      2. How Nebuchadnezzar was led to bless the true God - Dan 3:26-39

   B. CONSIDER WHAT THEIR TRIALS BROUGHT THEM...
      1. A new sense of freedom!
         a. They entered bound, but were soon seen "loose, walking" 
            - Dan 3:23-25
         b. The very thing presumed to destroy them, enabled them to
            walk freely!
         c. So our own trials can be used to set us truly free! - Jm 1:
            2-4; Ro 5:3-5
      2. A new source of fellowship!
         a. Note:  There was a fourth person in the fire! - Dan 3:25
         b. The identity of this fourth person is not certain
            1) Some think it was an angel
            2) Others believe it was a Christophany (a preincarnate
               appearance of Christ)
         c. Whichever, it suggested a closer communion and fellowship
            with God!
         d. So our trials can bring us closer to God
            1) As explained by the author of Hebrews - He 12:5-11
            2) As promised by Jesus Himself - Re 3:12,21; 7:13-17
      3. A new opportunity for service!
         a. They were promoted to even higher positions! - Dan 3:30
         b. Just as Joseph, who in his trials went:
            1) From slave to steward
            2) From prisoner to Pharaoh's second hand man!
         c. So our faithfulness in trials will lead to greater things!
            - Mt 25:21; Re 2:25-27

CONCLUSION

1. What a wonderful example of faith in these three young men!
   a. Committed to serving God, no matter the consequence
   b. Believing that God can bring deliverance, willing to accept death
      if He doesn't
   c. Demonstrating that faith in the face of fire can lead to greater
      things

2. Let's not overlook perhaps the most important outcome of this
   incident:  glory to God!
   a. Note the praise rendered by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon - Dan 3:28-29
   b. So our faith (and works) should be to the praise of God - Mt 5:16

3. What kind of faith do we have?  Is it like a....
   a. Spare tire, used only in the case of an emergency?
   b. Wheelbarrow, easily upset and must be pushed?
   c. Bus, ridden only when it goes our way?

May our faith be like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego,
committed to serving the Lord and demonstrating "Faith In The Face Of
Fire"!