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Showing posts from October, 2013

A little wine for my stomach's sake? Please?

A funny thing happened to me twice in the last two months.  It happened first at the annual United Way train pull.  This is an annual event sponsored by the local United Way, as a fund raiser.  The local pastors were asked to put a team together--which we did--and off we went to pull a train.   This train is actually a train caboose which weighs 100,000 pounds.  Each team gets a chance for two pulls, with a little breather in between.  After our one pull, the MC for the day laughlingly suggested we take a break and go over to the beer tent and have a brew--before we pull again.  The comment was made in jest and simple fun.   The second time something similar happened was just last week. I was at the local radio station and was asked by the manager if I was going to attend the annual St Thomas award night.  He described the night, location, time etc. and then, tongue in check, said something like, 'Oh and remember, there will be a wet bar!" ...

What am I really zealous about? Who am I zealous for? How far am I prepared to go with my zealousness?

I 'like' hockey--even like the Maple Leafs--but how zealous a fan am I?  Well, I'm unprepared to pay $250.00, or more-- to go watch a game.   I 'like' sailing--even spending some cash.  My buddy Pete Deboer and I spent a huge $120.00 on our sail boat--and we sail about three weeks a year--not all that zealous.  So my zealousness is lacking. Let's talk about my zealousness for Jesus.  Now, that's different--at least I hope. I think I'm pretty zealous.  You know, I do the right things, the spiritual things, and the righteous things.  I'm feeling pretty smug--oops--good about myself and then I read Numbers 25 and it's down hill from there. Here's the scoop.  (Warning- rated a little on the PG side!) The enemies of Israel--the Moabites--rather than attacking Israel with swords--use a covert method--worship and sex.  In the worship style of the Moabites, there was a lot of feasting, partying, and sex.  God is ticked off with the whole a...

The year of Jubilee

The Year of Jubilee Buried in the pages of Leviticus you will find an interesting command.  God tells His people, the Israelites, to practice what God called 'The year of Jubilee'.  Basically here is how it was to happen. First, mark off every 50 years and call it a year of Jubilee.  During that year have fun--don't work.  Celebrate being God's chosen people.  Don't plant crops, work the fields or gather a harvest of any kind.  Just party! Second, cancel all debts.  If money was owed for things--the debt is cancelled. Third, if for certain reasons property had been sold some time during the previous 50 years, the land was returned to the original owner.  Every 50 years the land allotted to a family would be returned. Wow!  Hardly capitalism! Here's the reasons why an Israelite was to celebrate the year of Jubilee: First, he does not own anything.  God owns everything.  The Israelite is just a stewart.“ The land shall n...