Ecclesiastes 12:10

      Paul is one of the most significant people in the New Testament. His work, writings, and influence shaped the church. Yet he isn’t without faults.   Not just, like all of us, he sinned but even in the decisions he made, sometimes he chose poorly.   For example, in Acts 15 Paul and Barnabas are considering a follow-up visit to the places where they previously established churches. Yet when it comes to who will go, they can’t agree. Barnabas wants to take John Mark. Paul doesn’t. Since John Mark quit on them the first time, Paul thinks he will again.   Paul’s so adamant he and Barnabas end up going their separate ways.   It seems, however, that Paul was wrong about John Mark. Mark goes on to be an important worker in the cause of Christ. Paul himself will later say Mark was “ useful to me for service ” (2 nd Timothy 4:11).   Mark made something of himself.   However, let’s consider how Paul might have been ‘wrong’, it might not ha...

   Mathis Rust was a teenager with a big dream, to end the Cold War. In 1987, he wanted to do something to reduce the tension with the Soviet Union. This desire became a plan. As an amateur pilot, he wanted to fly from Finland to Moscow to create an ‘imaginary bridge’ to the east. It seemed like a good way to get shot down by the supposedly impenetrable Russian air defense system. Yet Rust was able to make the flight landing in the middle of Red Square.   Rust’s flight didn’t quite have the effect he had hope. He ended up with a 4-year prison sentence. The incident was a joke among the Muscovites as they started to refer to Red Square as the third terminal of their airport. Yet, it may have helped end the Cold War.     The fiasco forced major changes in the military. Many questioned the senior officer’s inability to stop an inexperienced teenage pilot from landing in the capital.   This allowed the reform-minded Mikhail Gorbachev to replace those offic...

     American Airlines was looking for some ways to save money. So, they asked their employees for some ideas. Over many years of collecting meal trays in aircraft cabins, flight attendants had come to know that most passengers did not eat the olives in their salads. Could getting rid of the olives save money?   Sure, enough it could. Removing that one item from the salads would save the company roughly $500,000 per year. But would it upset the passengers? Research said no. The study showed that 72 percent of customers were not, in fact, eating their olives.   So, everyone would be happy right?   No, not really.   The Association of Olive Growers wasn’t happy at all. They contacted the airline and threaten a boycott if they didn’t bring back the olive. American Airline was able to settle them down but making sure that the airline would have olives for any passenger that wanted them, they would just have to ask.     In reality, the...

      Charles Ponzi became known in the early 1920s as a swindler for his money-making scheme. Although he didn’t invent the scheme of paying earlier investors using the investments of later investors, it still bears his name. These ‘Ponzi’ have been duplicated by swindlers like Bernie Madoff and Enron. Ponzi's original scheme ran for over a year before it collapsed, costing his "investors" $20 million at the time or about $250 million in today's dollars.     But that might not be the most audacious way he made money.   When a Boston financial writer suggested there was no way Ponzi could legally deliver such high returns in a short period of time, Ponzi sued for libel and won $500,000 in damages. While everything that the writer said was eventually proven true, the laws at the time put the burden of proof on the writer and it was still considered libel.   Truth hurts, even sometimes the one delivering it. “So have I become your enemy by tellin...

     Ever try to check in only to find out the hotel is full up? Ever stay at a friend’s house only to find out there isn’t a bed or even a couch to crash on? Ever get invited to come along but there isn’t a seat in the car or a spot at the table?   Nobody likes to feel that way. Left out, forgotten about, and on the outside looking in.     So, consider Jesus words in John 14:1-4: "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. "And you know the way where I am going."   Jesus didn’t want his disciples to feel like they had been abandoned. He wanted them to know he had plans for them. There was a place for them. There was space for them. And most importantly there was a way ...

    People like to comment on things. If you don’t believe me, just post something online and wait for the takes to come rolling in. People can’t seem to help themselves. Even when their opinion is irrelevant or unwarranted, they can’t resist chiming in.  Many times those comment don’t do much of any good and may even cause great harm   I think it might have to do with our pride. We expect everyone wants to know our take since we are so important.  If we don’t remark we might not be relevant anymore.   This concept, I think, is seen in John 3, when we read about a discussion involving John the Baptist disciples. In verse 25 we read, “ Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification .” The next line is John’s disciples going to him with their concerns that all the people were now going to Jesus to be baptized. Why the odd transition?   Maybe in the discussion, the people quoted Je...

      Back in February, the Oklahoma City Thunder had to make a dramatic halftime change. It wasn’t their play that was the problem, it was their jerseys.     That night the Thunder were hosting the Atlanta Hawks. Now once upon a time the rule was home team wore white uniforms and the away team was the color but the NBA has for several years now, has allowed several alternate uniforms that teams can wear. This is great for jersey sales but it can create some mix-ups. So, the combinations have to get league approval before the game.   Somehow, they didn’t realize that Atlanta’s red "icon" uniforms and the Thunder orange "statement" jerseys were almost the same color. So, for the first half, both teams looked exactly alike. The players didn’t seem too affected but for the fans, especially those watching on TV it was a nightmare. The league made the call at halftime that somebody had to change and since the Hawks only had brought the one uniform, the Thu...