Cool Phrases

Just as there are cool numbers, there are cool phrases.  Here are four.  Look for more.

 

Job 13.15:  Job while stating his case for wanting to have a discussion with God:

“Though he slay me I will hope in him.”

 

Esther 4.13-16

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.  And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.  I and my young women will also fast as you do.  Then I will go the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

 

Genesis 50.20 Joseph speaking to his brothers after the death of Jacob

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

 

Jeremiah 12.5  God’s reply to Jeremiah after the prophet  complains that the wicked and hypocrites fare well.

“If you have raced with men on foot , and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?”

 

Punography 2

I tried to catch some fog, I mist.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

How does Moses make his tea?  Hebrews it.

That girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met hervbivore.

I did a theatrical performance about puns.  It was a play on words.

Jeremiah Prayer

Last Friday this blog looked at the awesome way that God encouraged and called Jeremiah.  This  past week, our leadership group used four of the verses to guide our prayers.  In particular, we read the following:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”   (verse 5)

 “Do not say, ‘I am a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.”  (7-8)

Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth.  And the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.  See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”  (9-10)

 “I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.  They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.” (18-19)

We had a brief discussion of the ways that these verses apply to us as witnesses and ambassadors for Christ.  The following were mentioned:

  • The LORD is with us – being strong and courageous comes from His strength
  • God knows our days and what we need
  • God knows the opposition we will face, and He is more powerful
  • Obeying the LORD gives us confidence
  • God will give us the words we need to say when we are His witnesses.

 We moved into a time of prayer, particularly asking for strength, encouragement, and obedience in the issues we would discuss that evening.

 

Football Coach

Pastor Doug spoke at our men’s retreat  a couple of weeks ago. He had amazing stories of men and women who allowed God to put them in a place where He could use them as his gospel witnesses.  The account that impressed me most was the liberal arts major who went to Turkey.  He had said “I don’t know what I should do there.  I’m not a doctor or engineer or teacher; I don’t see how God could use me.  But I sense that I ought to go anyway.”

The man ended up at a college campus; I think he was teaching English as a Second Language.  One day while walking home he saw a group of men playing American football.  He stopped to look because these guys were serious and they weren’t playing real football  – “soccer.”  One of the players came over and asked if he knew anything about this game.

“Well, I did play college ball.” 

“Could you help us?  We really need help.”

So began a great career.  The man gave them tips and ideas and eventually became the official coach for the university club team.  They did really well – well enough that most other Turkish colleges also hired American coaches.

And, bonus, the man had arranged when he first moved to Turkey to have a satellite feed of NFL games. He and his wife had numerous opportunities beyond the coaching to be hospitable and share what they knew about Jesus.

The moral of this story isn;t necessarily that you get to be a football coach, but if you are willing to serve, God will find a way for you to do so.

Florida

God has made some great places on the earth.  One of my favorites is my mother-in-law’s house on Anna Maria Island in Florida.  Everything you need is close by.  Two blocks east is the Gulf of Mexico.  Two block south is the schoolyard where you can play Frisbee.  And two blocks north is the donut store.

Cool.

Cool Number Dates – 4/6/14-4/12/14

This week is bursting with cool number dates.

There are four(!) multiple-of-two days: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (4/6/14, 4/8/14, 4/10/14, and 4/12/14).

Wednesday, 4/9/14 is a Sequence (of 5) day.

Thursday is an Addition Day, since 4 + 10 = 14

And, Friday is another palindrome: 4/11/14