Basketball & Doctrine

12/8/2018

It’s late in the day. It has been cold and raining all day and I blame the weather for failing to write earlier. This morning I was up really early and must have, at first thought, I’ll write a blog later; and later thought I wrote it earlier. Yeah, that makes some sort of weird sense to me. Sorry.

Been thinking about Bible teachers I’ve known a big part of the day, basketball also, has been a big part of the day, also. After all my 3 favorite teams all played today on the “telly.” I’ve watched Indiana beat Louisville and now Duke, then later, Butler also play. In case you’re interested, they’re all 3 doing well this year.

Back to Bible teachers. I listened to a recording by a friend which was done about 10 years ago. It was terrific! At one point, he made a great doctrinal truth known and said, “I know that’s true, I can see it says it, right there!” …Today, though, he doesn’t teach that as a truth. How does that come about? He knew it was true because he could read it, but now he doesn’t believe it because___ he can’t see it anymore? Did his Bible change? I’m reminded of Gal.5: 7,8, “…..who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.”

Hearing him was a joy. Thinking of where he has wandered off to is not joyful, though. I scratch my head about some things men change their minds about. They look back at when they believed the same way I do and have for about 44 years, and they say, “I used to believe that but now I see differently.” Then, just about every time they make a comparison, they imply rather strongly that I and men who believe as I do are following some man. Not so for any of us. We’re about as independent a bunch of bible teachers as can be. We don’t get together and compare notes, we don’t even all agree on some minor points of doctrine. But, on the basics of understanding God’s word and knowing how to study God’s word, we all agree. And we agree because we study it, not because a man somewhere in our past taught us or told us we had to believe it this way!

Next subject, please. It looks like a pretty sure thing we’ll have 8 Blue Jug stores open by the end of January. The eighth has purchased their system and that usually means they are 6-7 weeks from being opened. Some things just get to going good, momentum is on our side for the new year, perhaps.  

Speaking of the stores, December is a strange month. More about that later in the month, but at the start of this past week, I wouldn’t have thought it could be that bad. By weeks end, though not altogether a great week, it finished better than I thought it would. The season hasn’t come to us yet, I guess. I want to commend Sarah on being wise concerning “stocking up” for the holidays. she has a good cautious nature. It’s going to serve her well, I think.

“C’mon On-A My House” was the song on my mind shortly after I got up this morning. Rosemary Clooney sang that (she’s George’s aunt, I think.) It may be banned shortly. Good thing she didn’t mention enticing someone with candy! Wait! Oh, NO,  she did!!

Thanks for reading, the Elder