Thought for October 30, 2023

•  1768: First Methodist Church in North America [Wesley Chapel, NYC]
• 1873: Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth begins
• 1894: Time clock patented by Daniel Cooper [remember one in the cotton mill]
• 1938: Orson Well's broadcasts "War of the Worlds"
• 1944: Aaron Copeland's "Appalachian Spring" premiers
• 1952: Clarence Birdseye sells the first frozen peas
• 1954: First use of 24-second clock in pro basketball
• 1974: Rumble in the Jungle-Ali and Foreman
• 1989: Largest milkshake made---1575 gallons
• Born: Christopher Columbus, John Adams, Ezra Pound, Charles Atlas, Dickinson Richards [Nobel Prize for inventing heart cath], Henry Winkler, T Graham Brown, Ivana Trump, Marcus Mariota
• Died: Steve Allen, Robert Goulet

Thought:

Reading 2 Peter 2 this morning. These words make me examine myself, acknowledge sin, seek forgiveness, and praise God for His amazing grace. I have a number of words and phases underlined in red in this chapter, and this morning here is what I am hearing:

• There will be false teachers [2:1] Notice that these false teachers will secretly introduce heresies into the body. The devil is subtle and deceitful, filled with half truths and misleading statements. This tells me to beware and test the doctrine against the pure word of the Lord. 
• Others will follow sensuality. [2:2] Notice their sensual ways will malign the truth, mislead, tempt. I see it in my life--jokes that are unacceptable, but I may laugh. Television or movies that are sensual, designed to arouse, and we watch. Language on television and radio that is vile and coarse, but we become numb. 
• Others will follow greed [2:3] and exploit others with false words. Think of all the advertising. think of the claims that we blindly listen to and spend our money pursuing. We honor those who strike [actors and athletes] because they only make millions and yet ignore our troops, first responders, teachers. We envy the greedy.
• The good news--2:9--God knows how to rescue the godly and keep the unrighteous under punishment. God provides a way for us to defeat temptation--greed, sensuality, false doctrine. He gives us the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, to comfort us in our distress, to intercede for us. 
• Now I consider the description of those following greed and sensuality--
• They indulge the flesh. [2:10] Am I inclined to seek the pleasure of the flesh or the holiness of God? I am frightened by 2:13--its says they revel as they carouse WITH ME. I find myself going along, watching without correcting. Just trying to get along.
• They despise authority [2:10]--Sounds like a rebellious teenager. I want to do it my way and ignore godly advice. I don't like someone telling me what to do. I don't even like the Bible giving me instructions.
• They sin openly without trembling [2:10]. Think about the parades, the language, the open opposition to God's authority. A couple of weeks ago, Hamas massacred innocent people by the hundreds. College students at "leading" universities justified this killing and supported the killers. Read on down to 2:13--they revel in the daytime---unashamed. Those things that were taboo and not suitable for society and now openly practiced and displayed.
• Unreasoning animals [2:12]. Greed and sensuality appeal to and bring out the basest and worst animal instincts. 
• Springs without water--dry holes [2:17] I have said before that Tennessee used to have a statute making it illegal to leave the impression of death--fake your death. Here the scripture talks about these who act like they are alive, but they are really dead. The appearance of an oasis, but sinking sand.
• The tragedy--they think they are exercising freedom when they are really enslaved [2:19]. Think about all the drugs, travel, spas, cars, beverages that promise to free you from the daily grind, allow you to relax and refresh. And then you become a slave to pleasure, greed, dependence. Tragedy.

WOW! Lord forgive me for drifting toward greed, sensuality, rebellion against Your authority. Help me today to depend on You for my authority, strength, guidance, joy, peace. You never fail!

Blessings

Larry