"The Coffee Shop" #3

[blackbird]

Laurenda,

I'll have to get back with ya on that one!! Its gonna take a little time to get the ingredients in line---meanwhile, if your husband ever plans to preach---is that what he does??--anyway, if he is a preacher--you can go ahead and line up the first ingredient---look in the yellow pages there in California under the heading "Gunsmith"--pick you one out that you think you can trust--and ask him for a can of smokeless gunpowder!!! That ingredient needs to go into the brew for him to see a serge in the intensity of his preachin'--hey, works for me!! The gunsmith sees me comin' in the door--he knows exactly what I come for!! If you don't trust the looks of the gunsmith you picked out--just let me know--my next door neighbor has a cartridge reloadin' shed back behind his house---waaaaaaaaay back behind his house---I may be able to help you out there!!

Anyway, give me a couple of days for that recipe--you won't need it for a while--at least till California's very first cold wave!!

Your buddy,
Blackbird

 

[blackbird]

PS--Laurenda!

You gotta be 18 to buy that gunpowder!! Are you 18 or older?? And don't get too close to the stove with it--unless you are for certain that your buddy Blackbirdy is the beneficiary of your hefty life insurance policy!!!

Your buddy,
Blackbird

If the salesman don't buy into the idea that you are over 18--there's usually 2 or 3 men outside the store--ask one of um--"Ummmmm! Sir! Can you go in there and buy me a can of gunpowder??"--If you tell um what you're gonna be doin' with it--they usually go along with your sob story!!

 

[rsr]

That ingredient needs to go into the brew for him to see a serge in the intensity of his preachin'--hey, works for me!!

Good morning, class. Welcome to Preaching with Gunpowder 2002. This is an introductory course to explore the uses of gunpowder in expository preaching, a vital element in the properly trained non-robe-wearing SBC pastor.

(If you are liturgical, you must be in the wrong class; likely you are looking for "Candles: Your Perfect Match," which is across the hall. Feel free to go on over, but don't trip on the acolytes.)

We will cover the history of gunpowder oratory, as well many a cautionary tale; just because you're loaded doesn't mean you always want to shoot off your mouth.

Please turn to Crowe's "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," page 23 ...

 

[blackbird]

yes, rsr! Those two classes do not, MUST not mix! If you're gonna burn candles--class, go next door! If you're gonna eat gunpowder, stay here!

Blackbird

 

[Jim1999]

I would rather light one candle, which is designed to shed light in the world, than fire one gun, which is designed to kill.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[blackbird]

Obviously, I'm gonna have to explain to ya'll about this "gunpowder" thing! Ninety-nine, it has nothin' to do with firin' guns! My guns are safe and sound inside the cabinet! Can't harm a flea there!

Eatin' gunpowder is sorta a preacher's way of sayin' he's gettin' "fired up" for this comin' Sunday's message!

You'd hear these ole timers talk about puttin' gunpowder in the rabbit dog's feed--make um run reeeeeeeeelll hard and fast!!!

Well, this "eatin' gunpowder" thing is a figure of speech---just the thought makes me "run reeeeeeeeeeel hard and fast" while I'm preachin'!

Your buddy,
Blackbird

 

[Jim1999]

This morning's devotions were in Psalm 17, considered another prayer of David. One verse sticks out; verse 8, "Keep me as the apple the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings." Here David is echoing another great warrior, Joshua, who maintained he was kept "as the apple of his eye." (Deut 32:10).

The eye is the most protected part of the body. It is recessed and surrounded by a bony structure. The eye lashes and lids act as a screen for the "daughter of the eye" (Hebrew). The first response of man against a projectile is to raise one's hands to the front of the body and most often faceward to cover the eyes. It is a natural reflex. We want to protect our vision as much as possible.

David considers being the "apple of the eye" a valuable spiritual asset. Being surrounded by the enemy, David is assured that God is with him and protecting him. In this prayer, David reminds God that he has been faithful and God knows this because he has visited him in the night......a time when we feel safe and secure, but also a time when our soul is open to God's scrutiny.

The last verse is the key. "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."

David only knew in part, but we have that knowledge of Jesus, and the sound of the last trumpet, when we will be clothed in His righteousness; we shall know His likeness.

May we ever press on to be like Him each and every day until that great moment when we awake in His presence, face to face.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Sherrie]

Good Morning all! Thanks for the devotion again Jim. I will be studying over it.

Sherrie

 

[jonmagee]

good evening all.just back for the irn bru...........but no one is serving it

yours, Jon.

 

[jonmagee]

Please pray for our next long term project. A christian schools worker. This would be in partnership with scripture union, a christian interdenominational organisation. If it goes ahead it would be a couple of years before we employ someone, but a lot of ground work will need to be done in the meanwhile.

yours, Jon.

 

[rsr]

POP!

There you go, Jon.

Sounds like an interesting project. How would it work?

 

[Sherrie]

WoW! What exactly would this be for? I will be praying!

Sherrie

 

[Jim1999]

All the best with Scripture Union. I have used Scripture Union since 1959 for daily devotionals. The very best of organizations.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Wisdom Seeker]

 

[jonmagee]

As well as other things, Scripture Union have an interest in young people and schools. They currently have initiated what they call an associate worker scheme designed to find ways of employing a christian to work with young people, 70% of time in schools, where young people are most of the day and 30% in local churches. Partnership between local churches and scripture Union give the following advantages:
1)The organisation in this country is widely respected by schools as well as differring churches and denominations.

2)Use of the organisation for line management, with all their experience in youth ork. Often church youth workers burn out cos the average church has no understanding of the pressures they face.

The local churches/christians would form a trust to act as the employers. This will take time to work through as it means a lot of fund raising in an area with little money, and also prepareing schools and ensuring other churches will work with us and not against us.

Still at the early stages and so hard to see how things will turn out at the moment

yours, Jon.

 

[Wisdom Seeker]

Hi everyone. I'm only posting because Dan is working on my car, replacing my brake pads and a roter.

I feel very dizzy, but the nausea has abated. Thanks for saying "stay away, I don't want to get it" made me feel all warm and fuzzy all over.

We got torrents of rain yesterday and today. I love the rain, as long as I'm dry and warm and don't have to drive in traffic or at night.

is everyone having a good Saturday so far?

Achey, Dizzy, Laurenda

 

[jonmagee]

Originally posted by Wisdom Seeker:
Hi everyone. I'm only posting because Dan is working on my car, replacing my brake pads and a roter.

I feel very dizzy, but the nausea has abated. Thanks for saying "stay away, I don't want to get it" made me feel all warm and fuzzy all over.

We got torrents of rain yesterday and today. I love the rain, as long as I'm dry and warm and don't have to drive in traffic or at night.

is everyone having a good Saturday so far?

Achey, Dizzy, Laurenda

sorry you have not been well, though as the nausea is abated I trust that is a good sign for what lies ahead

yours, Jon.

 

[Sherrie]

Wisdom Seeker hope you get to feeling better!

Hi jonmagee! That sounds like a wonderful program. I will be praying for it.

I just got done mowing and weed eating again. I am getting faster and better at it. I almost try to race myself. tee-hee!

Sherrie

 

[jonmagee]

Originally posted by Sherrie:


Hi jonmagee! That sounds like a wonderful program. I will be praying for it.


Sherrie

thank you, appreciate that

yours, Jon.

 

[rsr]

Thanks for the explanation, Jon.

I've been outside with the chainsaw removing brush from the perimeter of the yard. How does it grow so fast? I already had a P'up load (or more) and now have another load just so I can clear a path to move the previous load to the truck.

I am considering a treatise on "Therapeutic Uses of the Chainsaw."

Hostile? Depressed? Take that, you encroaching soapberry! You have no place in my life. Take that!

Can't get too carried away because the faithful soapberries and elms and mulberries are, at times, the only things holding up the neighbor's fence ...

Jim, I think there's a devotional somewhere in the soapberries, marvelous little trees that tuck themselves into the nooks and crannies of life and insist on thriving whatever the hardship ...

The mulberries are beginning to shed their fruit, which will at least provide entertainment as the birds and butterflies gather for the harvest.

As Barbara Walters once asked, "If you were a tree, what kind would you be?"

I would like to be an elm or an oak, but there's something attractive about being a soapberry or mulberry ...