The Day After Thanksgiving

Six imams removed from a US Airways flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix are calling on Muslims to boycott the airline. If only we could get Muslims to boycott all airlines, we could dispense with airport security altogether...The idea that a Muslim boycott against US Airways would hurt the airline proves that Arabs are utterly tone-deaf. This is roughly the equivalent of Cindy Sheehan taking a vow of silence. How can we hope to deal with people with no sense of irony? The next thing you know, New York City cab drivers will be threatening to bathe." -- Ann Coulter. You gotta read the whole thing. It makes sense to me.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Not just yesterday, but everyday, I'm thankful for:

• My salvation. God saved me, not because of anything I've done or every will do. He did it because of His grace.
• My wife of 26+ years. She has put up with a lot. She deserves a medal.
• My sons. They drive me crazy. They make me mad sometimes. They can be a real pain in the butt. That's what kids do.
• My church. They really do preach and teach the Bible. No Rick Warren or Willow Creek stuff.
• My country. I really am proud to be an American. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Tom Ascol has posted an audio file of a presentation he and James White did for the Pulpit Crimes Conference. Ascol's blog states: "We each gave a brief overview of material that we had planned to present at the debate on Calvinism that was sabotaged at the last minute by the other side. After this, we interacted with clips of sermons preached by Ergun and Emir Caner." Listen to the audio.

Speaking of the day after Thanksgiving, I like Phil Johnson's idea of Thanksgiving "turkey."

I love great photography; never been good at it. Joe Thorn and Steve McCoy are two guys that see stuff I miss. How do they do that?!.(Photo by Joe Thorn. Joe's blog)

Really Random Thoughts

WARNING: The following random thoughts are not connected in any way.

Listening to some vintage Doobie Brothers. I'm sorry, but music today just doesn't cut it. Give me the Doobies, circa early 1970s with Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons ANY DAY! Best song: Toulouse Street. My opinion.

So I guess Rich Warren thinks he's the US Ambassador to Syria. "Purpose Driven Peace Talks." Read Joe Farrah's comments via the Slice blog.

St. Brianstine had a link to this article by Daniel Wallace re: objections to the doctrine of election. Pretty good article.

It's official: Nancy Pelosi is the first woman Speaker of the House. That's all I'm going to say.

Tim Challies has an interesting post entitled Plagiarism in the Pulpit. I guess some pastors don't feel the need to able to "write" a sermon; just be able to "preach" one.

Yesterday, I filed an application to "ride along" with a Tulsa Police officer (you get to "ride along" during an actual shift). Don't know when I'll hear if I've been approved. They've already said I don't get a gun-- maybe they'll let me run the siren or radio. "One-Adam-Twelve. See the woman at..."

The Sony PS "something" went on sale today or yesterday--who really cares. I wonder how many of those people that camped out and/or stood in line for hours to buy a stupid game gave a tenth of that effort to vote last week...that's what I thought.

Finally: If I were a turkey...I'd hate Thanksgiving.

I Thought Everybody Knew

On Tuesday, November 7, the winning daily numbers for the Pennsylvania Lottery were 666. I'm not a big "prophecy buff", but I found it ironic that day in particular was Election Day in America. I'm not trying to make any connection here--I'm not saying that the Pennsylvania Lottery's daily number on Tuesday is a prophetic sign related to the election. I'm just providing this information as background for an interesting conversation that occured at work the next day.

The day after the election, I came across the PA Lottery site. I printed a screenshot of the winning number and showed it to several co-workers (three of whom identify themselves as "Christian"). The last person I showed the the screenshot doesn't claim to be a Christian, but she does identify herself as a "good person." She looked at the printout, then said: "Okay. I guess I don't get it. What's the significance of the number '666'?" Here's the point/question of my post: How does someone live in the United States for 50+ years (not to mention living in what is sometimes referred to as the "buckle of the Bible belt") and NOT KNOW that there is something about the number 666?

There are certain things I assume (maybe naively) most everyone knows, especially in Amerca. I assume most people know:

• "Red" means STOP; "Green" means GO.
• Littering is wrong; so is butting in line.
• You should pull over when an emergency vehicle approaches.
• Captain Kangaroo really wasn't a Captain. (OK. That's a obvious one one, but you'd be surprised...)
• The number 666 has something to do with the Bible and the end of the world (simply stated)

Maybe we haven't done as good a job as we thought in getting the "Word" out.

Some Tough Odds

The following story appeared on the ESPN website.

OSCODA, Mich. -- The Oscoda Area High School football team hasn't won a game, or even scored a point, in four games this season. Because of that, the school district has decided to cancel the remaining games.Despite pleas from players and parents, the board recently upheld the school's earlier decision to end the season, saying players risked injury in trying to take on much stronger opponents.

"When you go to a game on Friday night and see a team physically dominated, those are the indisputable facts," coach Kyle Tobin said.

"Seniors, I feel for you. There's nothing I can say other than I'm sorry," board member Neal Sweet said. "But you're not quitters. You went out there and did your best."

Tobin said the team was not physically competitive, had too few players and faced a tough schedule in the North East Michigan Conference, The Bay City Times reported.

Senior quarterback Mike Gondek pleaded with the school board to reconsider the school's Sept. 19 decision to cancel the remaining games.

"All I ever wanted to do was play football," Gondek said. "My teammates never felt so unsafe that we didn't want to be out there."

Tobin, a first-year coach, defended his decision.

"I have 28 years of coaching experience in high school and college, and I know the difference between a team playing bad and a team that's unsafe," he said.

I feel sorry for these kids. The Oscoda football team tried, but just couldn't overcome the odds. When I read this story, I thought about several things, but one thought that kind of stuck in my mind was when Jesus sent the Apostles out. In Matthew 10:16ff, Jesus said:

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves...But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles...do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak...And you will be hated by all on account of My name,...But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes.

That sounds like pretty tough "odds", but the Apostles went out and took the Gospel, first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. They were treated badly, just like Jesus said they would be. Most of them died because of their message. Football isn't near as important as taking the Good News to a dying world. The Oscoda football coach made a tough decision to end the season early. I'm thankful the Apostles were able to "overcome the odds" and I'm glad they didn't quit before the end of the season.

Rev 3:5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.