Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Good Morning   

 

In case anyone had not heard the details, here's a quick note from Christie:

 

Hey Jay,

Just a quick note to let you know that we had a baby Friday at 12:39 p.m. She weighed 7lbs 8.5 oz and was 20 inches long. Everybody is doing fine. See you in a couple of weeks.

Christie 

Don't forget that this coming Sunday is Father's Day.

Today's Reading:    Revelation 14:8, Barclay 125-126

-- quick note today about the second of the three angels.

-- in this commentary, Barclay continues with his approach that many of these references are to Rome, and there are some compelling reasons to believe that approach is correct.

-- there are many today who believe that the Babylon reference is actually referring to the U.S., that our culture and its effect on the entire world is the corrupting wine that John refers to.  It is American culture that religious fundamentalist in other countries -- and in our own -- want to war against as a corrupting influence on their culture.  And it the nature of things that America is not known as much for Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln, but for Madonna, Brad, Stallone, etc.   In this interpretation, this passage of Revelation is referring to the downfall of America.

-- even if that is not correct, there is something to be learned from the thought that we MIGHT be the Babylon that is corrupting the world with our culture.  As much as we can, if we can correct and clean up what is commonplace in our culture -- the celebrations of sex, violence, greed, self -- one day it might be harder for people to see the parallels between our America and John's Babylon.

 Today's Scripture   

 

Keep alert; stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love.

 

1 Corinthians 16 13-14

 

Today's prayer requests:    Just fyi, not many prayer requests in the que right now, which is a good thing in general, but we need to keep our eyes and hearts open to see who we need to remember.

 

One group of people to remember are the employees at Regions and AmSouth banks -- those two banks are going to merge, and there is alot -- alot -- of concern and uncertainity about jobs and layoffs among employees at both banks.  Need to remember them during this next six month period as all of that is sorted out.   

       

Today's class member prayer: 

Nicole McKinney  

 

Jay