Friday, June 9, 2006

Good Morning   

 

The big news of the day is Christie is going to be induced today -- she's already at the hospital

 

Just fyi, it's a pretty good chance that I won't be there this Sunday morning.  This is a stretch where the next four Sunday's are iffy for me. but we'll see how it works out.

 

 Today's Reading:    Revelation 14:4b-5   , Barclay 122-123

 

-- this short section further describes the 144,000 who are with the Lamb (Christ)

 

-- It is interesting to me that, in describing these 144,000 and how they came to deserve to be in the company of the Christ, that being truthful is the highest praise that John can give them, and to describe why they are worthy of their position.  The simple act of being truthful is something that is not really valued that much in our society.  If we were to make the case why a person is a good person who is worthy of a position in the church, we would probably not go to truthfulness as the first and best reason -- we'd probably mention that their faithfulness in attendance, or their lack of vices, or their willingness to give of their time or money.  But here, in the most holy of holy situations, the most select position in all of heaven, truthfulness is lifted up as the first and best of all virtues.

 

-- For Sunday, based on this week's lessons/readings, I think that there are two or three interesting discussion points. 

 

-- Early this week, we had all of the 666 splash.  What do you think the hoopla about that says about our society -- did you takeaway that people are not really scared at all of the end times and the devil, and just thought it was silly superstition?  Do you think that all of the 666 talk brought people around to discussing what it was all about and what it might mean for them?  What do you think it says about 666 when you have movies with promotional campaigns built around it, or when some people actively seek to have their child born on 6/6/06, and then name their child Damien? (Follow this link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=17188458%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name_page.html) Do you think people are taking the devil too lightly, or is 666 overblown as something to be serioius about.  Do you think that 666 is the most recognizable/remembered single piece of information in the Bible?  Is it in the Top Ten, Top 5?

 

-- how high is truthfulness on the list of must-have Christian virtues?  Barclay's commentary brings out some examples of how truthfulness is celebrated in the Bible.  But in your walk, is truthfulness one of the first things that you strive for in living out your faith?

 

-- so, in these few verses, we have a little different scene than we have been reading about in Revelation.  We start next week with three angels, and then to the seven bowls of wrath from God.

 

Today's Scripture   

 

 Jesus did many other things as well.  If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. 

 John 21:25  

 

 Today's prayer requests:       Christie and Andrew Peebles

 

As mentioned, Christie is at the hospital today and they were going to induce labor at 6A.  Need to be prayer that everything goes well for them. 

Today's class member prayer: 

April Walker

 

Jay