Christians tend to forget that...

     WORLD magazine interviewed Allie Beth Stuckey, host of Blaza TV podcast Relatable. One question:

     "Some Christians say that since our kingdom is not of this world, we need not concern ourselves with politics." 

     Stuckey: "Politics affects policy, policy affects people, and people matter. People matter to God; therefore, they matter to us. Christians tend to forget that politics is one way to love our neighbor, because the policies that we vote for have a real effect on people.

     "You don't have to care about every issue. You don't have the capacity to do that. 

     "But the issues that affect your community, the issues that will affect your children and your children's children - as U.S. citizens we have the right and responsibly to vote, to influence elections, and to raise a respectful ruckus for the things that matter. 

     "We (Christians) are exiles in this world. Our citizenship is in heaven. And yet, here we are. So, in the welfare of the community around us is our welfare too." 

Views: If we are registered to vote, we still have Tuesday.

           Jimmy

Putting a lid on it  

     We could write about the extremely serious election, or the damage done to North Carolinians (including 230 dead and others missing), or the baseball World Series. 

     You can find all that elsewhere. Today - if you don't know - Tupperware succumbs to slumping sales. Growing up, we heard our mother talk about Tupperware quite often. 

     Some 78 years ago Earl Tupper invented the first products. His company, known for plastic food containers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sept. 17 after years of declining sales and mounting debt. 

     The amount of debt is $818 million according to court documents. Tupperware's lenders filed a motion in court to convert the Chapter 11 restructuring into a Chapter 7 liquidation.

     It is estimated that 8,500 patents are held by Tupperware Brands for kitchen and home products. 

     More than 100 Tupperware pieces make up a collection for the future Smithsonian American Women's History Museum, reflecting the cultural influence of Tupperware parties in the 20th century.

            Jimmy

Judgment of Believers

    4 of 6

Lack of love.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. You will receive an inheritance. - Colossians 3:23 

     Believers will have to give an account of their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God. 

Master to his servant: Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master's happiness. - Matthew 25:21 

Now it's required that those who have been given a trust prove faithful. I do not judge even myself. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring it to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. Each will receive his praise from God. - Corinthians 4:2-5

     The believer's bad deeds, when repented of, are forgiven with respect to eternal punishment. They are still taken into account during judgment for repayment. The results of the judgment will be varied. There will be either gain or loss of joy. 

Soloman: For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:14

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people. - Hebrews 6:10 

And now dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. - 1 John 2:28 

Parable of the talents - Matthew 25:14-30 

Two more in this series, next week

Hometown Arrivals  

If our schedule is a bit uneven lately,

we have been dealing with the hurricane, 

an upcoming funeral, and the usual duties.

     Big cities get most of the news, but midsize towns wrestle with immigrant surges. Imagine our future if Democrats sweep this election.

     In Springfield, Ohio, residents quietly accepted the newcomers, until housing prices shot up 27 percent. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian immigrants have settled there.

     From January 2021 to January 2024, federal officials encountered 6.3 migrants at the southern border. More than 2.4 million were allowed to stay, with temporary legal status. This comes with costs and benefits. 

     Springfield pastor Carl Ruby claims the city is benefiting from the influx, but "we are being used as an example of a city that's overrun." 

     Portland, Maine, now with an aging workforce, needs newcomers. As asylum-seekers move in, taxpayers are footing the bill. Their government has spent $35 million to house new arrivals. Those who don't speak English have less opportunity. 

     Whatever. The election may or may not move all this is a new direction. Stay tuned.

          Jimmy

   

Well...Halleluiah! 

     49% of Democrats and 67% of Republicans agree on something.

     They are in favor of expanding nuclear energy. It seems windmills and solar panels aren't going to meet all our energy needs after all. 

     The resurgence of interest in nuclear power includes Congress and the White House. Safety worries have stymied the growth of nuclear power in the U.S., especially after the partial meltdown in Pennsylvania in 1979 and the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986. 

     But the global use of nuclear energy has increased in the past four decades. More than 440 reactors operate around the world powering cities, suburbs and submarines. The U.S. has 94 reactors, mostly built in the 1970s and '80s. They provide 18 percent of America's electricity. One design approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission seems likely. In the past, different designs for different reactors has proved way too expensive and time consuming.

     China plans to add 150 nuclear reactors to its existing 55 over the coming decade. 

Source: WORLD magazine

       Jimmy 

It's nighttime. They are looking for him in the garden...

in the woods, carrying lanterns and torches...and weapons. 

John chapter 18

vv. 10-11  Peter with his own sword struck the high priest's servant. Jesus said: Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which my Father has given Me? 

v. 20  Later, questioned by the high priest himself, Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 

v. 36  Brought before Pilate, the authority with power over life and death, Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. 

v. 37  Pilate said to him, "Are you a king then?" Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. 

The Money Game 

     College sports has undergone a massive upheaval, brought on by the 2021 court case that ruled the NCAA could not prevent student athletes from profiting from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).

     Overnight, thousands of young people had the opportunity to make money without turning pro. 

     There is a six-part documentary that examines how student athletes at Louisiana State U. are navigating sports reshaped by NIL deals. "The Money Game" begins with a breakdown of the economics behind college athletics. NIL threw the old system into chaos. 

     LSU has an NIL office to help students get paid. Some athletes aren't just students. Now they're running their own businesses. While football generates the lion's share of profits for the university, it's the Lady Tigers that are running away with the money. 

     Gymnast Olivia Dunne has 15 million followers on social media and can make up to $125,000 for a single post. 

     NIL isn't equitable as expected. Some star athletes struggle to get attention, while some obscure athletes build profitable businesses. 

     On the dark side, some students face struggles and mourn the loss of normal life. NIL, they say, is one more thing for kids to worry about, already under too much pressure to perform.

     So what? So, Mr. and Mrs. Donut on Saturday participate in an event called "Trunk and Treat" for kids living in the neighborhood of our church. My Buckeyes, on TV at the same time, will have to face Nebraska without our help. 

           Jimmy