A Little AM Life-Challenging Summary

This morning I attended a 6:45 AM guys' Bible Study. I was at Faith Lutheran Church in Golden, CO. The men were working through the little epistle of II Timothy. As we discussed portions of its first chapter, I was struck by a short, quick summary statement the Apostle made:  "For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, and therefore I suffer as I do."(vs. 11)

Paul said the reason he was in prison--and soon to die--was because of his preaching and teaching. I thought to myself, "OK, but preaching and teaching what?" Of course,  he states that answer right there, too. He was preaching and teaching the gospel, the Good News, surrounding the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of that news, and because of it's implications to radically influence the lives of people, Paul was intensely persecuted. The Apostle's message--his preaching and teaching--was dangerous. So, he had been arrested, thrown into jail, and faced death--beheading. Recently, we've all "witnessed" the fearsome threat and savageness of beheading. It's no aberration. 2000 years since the Apostle Paul's life ended, that kind of ideological warfare persists. 

In the USA we have lived well outside the hideous reach of such savage persecution. However, through the past 50 years obvious deleterious changes in American societal values are well documented. These probably do not bode well for America. Predictably, the changes are provoking new interpretation of America's founding documents--its Constitution and Bill of Rights. They also contribute new perspective on America's history and new conclusions about its legacy. Hmmm, some interesting albeit tangential thoughts.

Some 2000 years and America's history aside, the truth in the Apostle's simple summary still trumpets the clarion call.  The Good News in the Apostle's gospel, so threatening to princes and kings and rulers then was this: Wow, wow, wow. The implications in that amazing truth literally changed the world. It remains as threatening and hated today, by some, as it was in AD 68. Every effort has been made by principalities and powers--the dark rulers of this world and of the unseen spirit world--to discredit that Good News.

This is important stuff. So, I'm going to say a little more about this in the next blog. Let me end with the question I was asking myself this morning as I peddled my bike toward home. I asked myself again, "Dick, what are you doing with that truth, and what can you expect will happen as you

choose to live it's implications daily?

How about you....what are your thoughts?

That's Dialogues...for today.