Thought for August 21, 2023

  • 1831: Nat Turner, Baptist preacher, leads a rebellion
  • 1858: First Lincoln-Douglas debate
  • 1888: William Burroughs patents the adding machine
  • 1911: "Mona Lisa" stolen from the Louvre; recovered in 1913
  • 1942: The movie "Bambi" is released
  • 1947: First Little League World Series
  • 2012; Total eclipse seen in Nashville
  • 2015: Three American Servicemen subdue Ayoub El Khazzani on a train from Amsterdam to Paris
  • 1959: Hawaii becomes the 50th State
  • Born: Count Basie, Jack Buck, Wilt Chamberlain, Kenny Rogers, Usain Bolt
  • Died: Leon Trotsky, Ernest Thayer ["Casey at the Bat"], 
Thought:
Reading chapter 3 of 2 Thessalonians today. Our associate pastor, Matt Longworth, preached from this passage and passages in Proverbs back in July--his topic was laziness. My New American Standard warns to be aloof from those who are "unruly," but the Christian Standard Bible says from those who are "idle." Read verses 6-15 with me. Notice:
  • 3:6--the command here is directed to Christians and those that are idle or unruly are called "brothers." Paul is addressing a problem in the church. Apparently, the 80-20 rule applied then as well--80% of the work done by 20% of the people. Can you imagine how powerful and productive the church would be if all of the people were working? The church would be four-five times as productive if every one participated fully. 
  • 3:7-9--Calling on the church to look to him as an example, Paul says he worked day and night in spite of hardships so that he would not be a burden. I am looking at my life---am I working day and night overcoming hardships in the service of the Lord? 
  • 3:10--what a concept. Paul says that when he was with the church at Thessalonica in person, he said if you do not work, you do not eat. No freeloading. I am certain that Paul made allowance for age or infirmity, but his message for the congregation was clear---I am part of the body and I need to do my job.  Yes, I need help and I need comforting and I need encouragement and I need ministry. But I also must encourage, comfort, minister, help.
  • 3:11--When we are idle, we become busybodies. When I am not laboring for the Lord, I have plenty of time to complain; lots of time to critique how others are doing.
  • 3:13--If you are in the 20%, don't grow weary doing good. When it seems that others are not carrying their load, doing their part, sharing the work---don't get bitter, don't get discouraged, don't let it make you tired or grumpy. 
  • 3:15--If you are in the 20%, do not treat the 80% like enemies. Admonish in love. 
I wonder what the church was like in Thessalonica--probably just like the church I attend. Makes me wonder what Paul would say to me.

Blessings
Larry

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought for July 19

History: 1553: Lady Jane Gray deposed after 9 days 1692: 5 people hung during Salem Witch Trials 1848: First women's rights convention -Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Wesleyan Chapel at Seneca Falls NY 1910: Cy Young wins his 500th game 1941: US Army flying school at Tuskegee AL dedicated 1945: USS Cod saves 51 sailors from Dutch sub--only sub-to-sub rescue 1957: Firing of first rocket with nuclear warhead-Nevada 1984: Geraldine Ferraro is first major party female VP candidate 1996: Olympics open in Atlanta 2007: Madmen debuts 2018: Duck Boat sinks in Table Rock Lake killing 17 Born: Samuel Colt, Edgar Degas [painter], Lizzie Borden, Charles Mayo [Mayo Clinic], George McGovern, Al Haig, George Hamilton IV, Vikki Carr, Ilie Nastase, Stuart Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch,  Died: Syngman Rhee [President South Korea], Clyde Beatty [circus animal trainer], Mary Jo Kopechne [passenger with Ted Kennedy], Jack Warden, Frank McCourt [Angela's Ashes], James Garner, Garry Marshall
Read more

Thought for November 23, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving!  1664: Blaise Pascal is converted following a vision. He wrote the date and time of his conversion and said, "Fire. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. Not of philosophers and intellectuals. Certitude, certitude, joy, peace. The God of Jesus Christ." Laid the foundation for the law of probabilities; genius in hydrodynamics and hydrostatics developing Pascal's principle of pressure; taught the experience of God through the heart rather than reason; mathematician and philosopher. 1783: Annapolis Maryland becomes U.S. Capitol until June 1784 1863: Patent for making color photographs granted 1889: First jukebox debuts in Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco 1897: Pencil sharpener patented 1904: Summer Olympics in St. Louis close [1st Olymics in U.S.] 1921: President Harding signs an Act prohibiting doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medicinal purposes 1923: Cecil B. DeMille's first "The Ten Commandments" premiers
Read more

Thought for April 5, 2024

1722: Easter Island discovered 1792: First Presidential veto 1815: Mt. Tambora erupts. Largest eruption ever witnessed. Created year without summer in 1816--frost and snow in North America in June and July. Largest part of eruption on April 10th. Killed 10,000 in initial blast.  1906: Mt. Vesuvius erupts killing 100 1923: Firestone begins producing inflatable tires 1936: Tupelo almost completely destroyed by a tornado--216 die 1972: Baseball strike costs 86 games 2063: On "Star Trek", earth has its first contact with the Vulcan species Born: Thomas Hobbes, Joseph Lister, Booker T Washington, Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Arthur Hailey. Gale Storm, Frank Gorshin, Colin Powell, Pharrell Williams Died: Robert Raikes [Sunday School], Douglas MacArthur, Howard Hughes, Abe Fortas, Sam Walton, Allen Ginsberg, Saul Bellow, Charlton Heston, Honor Blackman Thought: Reading Daniel 1:5-7 this morning. Continuing with the thoughts about Nebuchadnezzar's plan. Having brough
Read more