Time Machine co-ordinates VICLV63681461

Two very interesting things came to an end today, August 14th, 1961.  The Brandenburg Gate to East Berlin was closed permanently, apparently because East Berlin police didn't like having rocks and things thrown at them from West Berliners.  And the evidenciary part of the Adolf Eichmann trial ended, and the case went before the judges to deliberate.

Here, though, things are much happier, because I have a special treat for our three time POTM, Elvis, that I'm just dying to share with you.  So King, I... uh, where is Elvis?\

Nardole:  He said he would be right here, and he... oh, here he comes now, sir...  Oh, my....

Hey, I wanted to get duded up just right for the occasion, boss...

Geeez, is that you?  I can't tell from the glare off the sequins...

Yeah, maybe the 1,000 watt spotlight on me is over the top.  Hey, Noodle!  Cut the light!  There, how's that?

Better, marginally.  So as I was saying, I have a really big surprise for you later on, in honor of your unique achievement!  But first...

Wait, this 'but first' stuff again?

Yes, because I like it when you squirm!  So, I'll even give you a choice!  Do you wanna do first what's behind door #1...  door #2... or door #3?

Whut is this, Let's Make a Deal?  Ah'll take door number... two!

All right, because door # 2 is the second of two debuts this week, and a lady I think I'm gonna fall in love with!  With her second hit on the M10- and the second on THIS week's M10... here's Hazel English at #8...





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Okay, so this week, among the 22 contestants from 44 stations on this week's Panel, there are NO-zero- Elvis Presley hits, so there won't be a fourth in a row...

N:  Thank heaven for that!

E: Noodle?  What's that supposed to mean?

N: Well, first of all, the name is Nardole, not 'Noodle'.  Second, I think we could all use with your gargantuanly inflated ego.... shrinking for a while...

E:  I guess I can git a little overbearing... sorry guys...

I don't mind, heck, it might be the only time anyone hits three times in a row!  Anyway, before I turn the finalist list over to you, I should let everyone know that we have one finalist- and that is 14 year old Eddie Hodges' I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door- that got into the final with a lot of help from the non-US end of the Panel.  Three votes from Australia and one from Canada were among (but not his only) votes.  With the remaining finalists, here's Liberace- I mean Elvis!  Easy mistake, the sequins and all...

Hardy har, har!  You fergot to mention that Hodges is at #21 on Cashbox this week.  The other songs go like this:

At #10, the Highwaymen with Michael (Row The Boat Ashore)...

At #5, the Mar-Keys with Last Night...

At #1, Bobby Lewis an' Tossin' And Turnin'....

...an' debuting at #72, Dick and DeeDee with The Mountain's High.  Pick from them there hits to see if'n you can guess who'll take my spot at the top!


Speaking of guessing, which door you want next, bud?

Ugggh... gimme #1...

Alright!  Last week, we did that 6D that brought us the accomplishments of one Diane Warren, and I speculated on the Beatles...

Dadgum it, not on my week!

Yes, right now.  So I found a site that told which Beatle wrote which #1- a site that somehow forgot to include the Yesterday And Today lp, forcing me to do a little more digging.  So it was that I decided to have the Paul vs John who wrote the most #1s contest!  Now, not to short George and Ringo- George got credit on Something, My Sweet Lord, Give Me Love, and a co-credit with Ringo on Photograph;  Ringo alas only got that shared credit.  In addition, there were three Beatles hits that we co-comps in reality by McCartney/Lennon- She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, and We Can Work It Out.  But as for #1's they can take the lion's share of credit on:

Paul had 11 for the Beatles, a whopping 9 #1s solo or with Wings, and the Peter and Gordon #1 A World Without Love.  Final score- 20.

John had 6 with the band, 2 on his own, and Elton's cover of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.  Plus, Roseanne Cash took his I Don't Want To Spoil The Party to #1 on the country charts, so give him a final score of- ten.

How many songs did you write that hit number one, King?

I got a credit on one...  "I've never even had an idea for a song. Just once, maybe. I went to bed one night, had quite a dream, and woke up all shook up. I phoned a pal and told him about it. By morning, he had a new song, 'All Shook Up'." *

(*The quote was from an interview with Delores Diamond published October 28th, 1957)


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All right, let me hit the stats...

Shouldn't you be playing another song about now?

Not yet... for a good reason.  Anyway, the Big Mover was Ben E King's Amor, up 32 from 78-46; the #1s around the English speaking universe include:  Who Put The Bomp In The Bomp-She-Bomp by Barry Mann in Canada (#73 debuting here), Australia's, as you might suspect, was Eddie Hodges' I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door; New Zealand enters our picture with Brook Benton's Boll Weevil Song; and the UK has at the top Helen Shapiro with You Don't Know.  Ready for that last door?

I s'pose...

This is a LIVE 6D!  Eddie Cochran often comes to mind this time of year- after all his big hit was Summertime Blues.  He was killed in an accident in April 1960 that almost claimed fellow singer Gene Vincent- along with a young lady that you know, King!  You apparently are the one that told this teeny-bopper at the time to do some writing. And after a relationship went sour with one of the Everlys- which one depends on if you believe Wiki or AllMusic-  she wrote a song and finagled her way into Ricky Nelson's house to convince him to take it.  He slowed the tempo, and Poor Little Fool made Sharon Sheeley the youngest woman (at 18) to write an American #1 hit.  After the accident, she teamed with another up and coming star- Jackie DeShannon- to write several tunes, including the song at #4 without a Panel Vote- Brenda Lee's Dum Dum.

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NOW, can we do my surprise?

You bet, my friend!  Because last week, a certain person we all know had a collection released by his record company... and I heard the first single from it, and said, "I like this!"  It was originally a top ten country hit for Stonewall Jackson in '65...

Sigh... another cover....

...and then covered the next year in a top 20 hit for Johnny Rivers.  This particular version we are putting in at #10 is a souped up version of a song from a 1971 lp... and comes out this week on the collection called Elvis In Nashville...

Huh?  Holy... you mean....

At #10 this week, for just the second time- the first being the M10's very first week.... here is- Elvis Presley!!!!!!!!!!!





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Wow, boss... I think I'm gonna cry....

Well, don't do it now, I have the rest of the M10 to fill in!

Basia Bulat's Your Girl drops from 6 to 9...
The Explorer's Club is at #7, up 2 for Roses And Rainbows...
Silversun Pickups climb 4 to #6 with Toy Soldiers....
Hazel English's other hit, Five And Dime, falls from the top to #5....
The Jayhawks get a spot back, from 5 to 4 with Bitter Pill...
Dent May slips from 2 to 3 with I Could Use A Miracle...

2 weeks ago, I said to myself, there are 5 songs this week that could be #1-  this week, there are only 2....

Brooke Annibale moves up a spot to #2 with Home Again...
And the new #1.....

The Beths with Jump Rope Gazers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And now, the Panel picks...

Bobby Lewis and the Mar-Keys got 9.1% each...

Eddie Hodges and Dick And DeeDee got 11.36% each....

And the winner, with 20.4%....

...the original Highwaymen, with Michael!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Join me and the Highwaymen for 1962... maybe I'll get them to sing Cottonfields, because, you know, in August 1962, "I was a little bitty baby..."  Hee Hee!

Boss,  that joke was anything BUT burnt....

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- 2 John

John beats a familiar drum across his 3 epistles, and that theme is the core of this one-chapter book.  Love one another, and Believe that Jesus is God become flesh.  His reason being much the same that we keep this message now...

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 


The why of this coming up was that there were those coming behind the Apostles teaching a different way of seeing Christ.  They could not conceive that God would- or even could- become flesh.  How could He be God and man at once?  It was beyond their ability to understand- just like it's beyond OUR ability to understand.  Jesus Himself, though, taught us how to deal with this superreality:

Mat 18:1  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
Mat 18:2  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
Mat 18:3  and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

A child has no problem believing what he doesn't understand, because he believes the parent that teaches him or her.  Now here's where atheists that I have jousted with would say, "Yep, children believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and God."  But that isn't the point.  Children believe when dad says the car will start and take them to the ball game; they believe mom when she says that mass of dough will turn into bread.  They have an innate knowledge that they don't understand everything- yet.  Adults tend to lose that essential quality, and THAT was Jesus's point.  Some things WE have to take with the faith of a little child, because that's what we are compared to God (and even that comparison is flattery).

So these men, then and now, try to convince others that Jesus COULDN'T be both at once.  They claim He was just a good man, who had the Holy Spirit possess Him at the baptism and release Him at the crucifixion.  Or, like the Muslims as I understand, do the old switcheroo and replace Him magically on the cross with Barabbas, because "God would NEVER allow His Son to really suffer".  These same people today believe in asking Mary for prayer because even though Jesus said HE is the way to approach the Father, HE is the curtain torn in two, they think that we need someone else to go to Jesus FOR us.  Or that His sacrifice couldn't possibly wash away ALL our sins, so we must go to purgatory where others can "pray for us" and put us across the finish line that Jesus just didn't quite make.

But He could, and He did.  And our lack of understanding isn't His limitation, it is ours.  And the fact that we think of ourselves as the pinnacle of wisdom and understanding, so that we even have to fight this fool's battle, hides from us something else we don't grasp- something becoming so much more evident of late- that need to love one another.  Media, politics, even the misunderstanding of God's Word, bring us to a point where we can go no farther than, "We love one another- EXCEPT..."  And until we get rid of the word except, we aren't any brighter than the ancient- or modern- gnostics that John preached against.

Sunday Message- unalienable rights?

A few days ago, I was listening to David Jeremiah telling a story.  I miss a lot of details listening as I do at work, but the gist of it was a quote from an Englishman who said that the main difference between the Brits and the Yanks is the American "Obsession with being happy".  Of course, isn't that written into the core of the Christian Nation of America?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Let's look at this rightly for a change.   Number one, did God give us "unalienable" rights?  The only one I know of from the Word is this one:

Joh 1:12  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
Joh 1:13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

But what of the ones the Founding Fathers put here in the Declaration of Independence?  Life?  It is a gift, not a right.  Job said it best- "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, The Lord gives and the Lord Takes away.  Blessed be the Name of the Lord."

Liberty?  Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
Joh 8:35  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.
Joh 8:36  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.


Liberty isn't even on the same scale in the Declaration and the Word.  God says there is one slavery- sin.  Did you get that?  ONE SLAVERY.  And it isn't political, isn't about quarantines or even reparations.  Only sin is slavery- only Jesus is liberty.  Again, not a right, but a gift.

So why would we believe that the pursuit of happiness is a right?  In the process of yet another round of "let's growl at God for all this overtime", it was pointed out to me my problem was the gap between God's "six days shall you labor" and the current American worker concept of it.  I wasn't getting God's view, and God's view is the one Paul expressed:

Php 4:11  Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Php 4:12  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
Php 4:13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.


God doesn't promise happiness, but He strengthens us to find contentment with or without it.

Point?  This is yet another reason to keep your faith and your politics separate.  Because  even if the Founding Fathers wanted to establish a nation based on the fear of God, they were flawed men without complete understanding, who were (not without noble intent) gilding their politics with a faith they didn't even all agree on.  So maybe we need to think of our nation as less of a Christian Nation- a concept that we never have understood- and more of a nation with the trimmings of faith.

Time Machine co-ordinates VICLIV6358760

I can just tell this "Blogger switch over" is going to be a cluster, so bear with:  (straightens shirt, wipes brow, punches dog, deep breaths, moves on)....

Today we go to August 7th, 1960, where the wheel stops spinning and comes up, Ivory Coast.  That is the nation given its independence from France today- something France does almost every odd-numbered day this August.  On the 1st, it was Dahomey (Benin since 1975), the 3rd it was Niger, Upper Volta (Burkina Faso as of 1984) on the fifth; It skips the 9th and goes to Chad on the 11th, the former Ubangi-Shari, now the Central African Republic on the 13th, the Republic of Congo on the 15th, and finally running out of former colonies with Gabon on the 17th.  They all....

Son, enough of this crapola.  Do I get a third week as POTM and beat the Beatles, or not?

Steady, King!  The truth is, this week's Panel came down to a big two-song battle between...

...Brian Hyland's Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, at Cashbox's #1, and...

...your It's Now Or Never at #2!

Yes!  I have a shot!

So you do!  And to celebrate the possible record-setting victory, we're going to do things a little different this week- I'm going to take you inside the actual Panel deliberation, and see how it really works!  Brian will be right here with us to observe the battle, and we'll have all sorts of other...

We don't need nothing else!  We don' even need Hyland!  Let's just...

BH:  Now slow down, pal!  You don't know that you are gonna win- he said it was a big battle!  And besides, it ain't all about you...

EP:  Lissen here, Hyland, this here is MY gig, an' I don' need no johnny come lately ta...

ELVIS!  DOWN!

EP:  Yes, boss.

Before we get there- and we will do it soon, just to calm him down- There are other things to address and one of them is that the M10 had two new debuts this week- and they, to my surprise on the first one, are both covers!  That puts the percentage of covers all time occurring during this 'Cover Summer' to almost 46%!  Anyway, the one that surprised me was because I forgot that this song was first done- and hit #1- by a lady named Martika in 1988!  This time around, it's being redone by a band who already boasts 2 M10 #1s... at #10, here's brand new music from Silversun Pickups...

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So this week's 10 song, 36-station Panel had as its 6D victim Ray Peterson's Tell Laura I Love Her at Cashbox's #5 this week.  And when I looked into it, I saw... Hey, you two!  Knock It Off!

BH:  Sorry, Chris.
EP:  Sorry, boss.  But he started...

Put. A. Cork. In. It.  Or I'll scrap it right now.

EP:  Yes, boss.


AHEM.  So anyway, Jeff Barry has a co-write credit on this tune, and it's far from his only one, as I know I did on a previous 6D- he has 15 top 10 credits to his name, including #1s by Sean Cassidy (Da Doo Ron Ron), Manfred Mann (Doo Wah Diddy Diddy), the Dixie Cups (Chapel Of Love), the Shangri-Las (Leader Of The Pack), the Archies (for which he sang, on Sugar Sugar), and Olivia Newton-John (I Honestly Love You).  And this all got me thinking about who wrote the most top tens.  This question kept leading me back to a name I didn't recognize- a lady named Diane Warren.

While I didn't know the name, I knew a lot of the songs.  From about 1988 on, Diane had songs hit the top ten 30 times- including these outside-the-Martin-Era hits:

At #1:  Milli Vanilli's Blame It On The Rain, Aerosmith's Don't Want To Miss A Thing, Chicago's Look Away, Starship's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, and Bad English's When I See You Smile.

At #2: Belinda Carlisle's I Get Weak, Chicago's I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love.

At #3: Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time, DeBarge's Rhythm Of The Night.

And at #7, Michael Bolton's Time Love And Tenderness.

THAT is a serious pile of hits.  But it also got me to thinking about the Beatles...

EP:  NO!  Not them on my day!!

Relax, you big baby!  I've done some research on their writing prowess- but it's gonna wait until next week.    Right now...

BH:  Is it time for our contest?

Right after we do the other M10 debut at #9.  At this point you shouldn't be surprised that it's by The Explorer's Club- but you may be surprised to know that it is a cover of a song that peaked at #77 a long time back- a song that was the only solo hit for former Three Dog Night-er Danny Hutton...





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All right, friends- and you two- here's what we are going to do.  You are going to get a recorded look in at how the voting went for our two songs in question- the other 8 contestants edited out for time.  As you will see, it works a lot like the nomination process at a party convention.  At this point- with UNOBTRUSIVE comments by our two contestants filtered in- I turn things over to the Panel Chairman:


C: May we hear from our delegate from Arizona...

AZ Delegate:  Mr Chairman, from our great state, the city of Phoenix places it's vote for- Mr Presley!

EP:  Yes!

C:  Next, the delegate for our Canadian brethren from British Columbia...

BC Del.:  Yes, our province's showpiece city of Vancouver, casts one of its votes for- Mr Hyland...

BH:  (Gives raspberry to Elvis)

C:  And now, will our delegates from California please come up...  Los Angeles, you are first.

LA Del.:  Mr Chairman, fellow delegates, the City of Angels will cast its 2 votes for- Mr Presley...

EP:  3-1 me!

C:  And the other delegate...

SF Delegate:  Our city of San Francisco is not just another city, despite not having 2 votes, as our esteemed colleague does.  We have but one vote, and we cast it for- Mr Presley.

EP:  Now I'm rolling!

C:  Next, the delegate from Colorado...

CO del:  Sir, I have the privilege of representing Denver, and our 2 votes...

SF del:  How they get two and we only get one...

C:  (Bangs gavel)  Continue please...

CO del:  The two votes from Denver are cast for- Mr Presley.

BH:  This kinda sucks...

EP:  6-1, loser!

C:  The delegate from Illinois...

IL del:  The delegate from the wonderful state of Illinois casts Chicago's vote for- Mr Hyland.

EP:  Big deal.

C:  The Massachusetts delegate, please...

MA delegate:  The representative of the great state of Massachusetts, with the vote of the city of Boston, seat of liberty, casts its vote for- Mr Presley.

EP:  See? 7-2!

C:  Next, from Missouri...

MO del:  Yes, Mr Chairman, with the vote of the Gateway City of St Louis, for- Mr Hyland.

BH:  Yes!  Here comes the rally!

C:  Will the three delegates from New York State now come forward?  You first, sir...

NY del 1:  With the vote of the city by the lake, Buffalo, the city chooses- Mr Hyland.

EP:  Hmmmm...

NY del 2:  With the 2 votes of New York City, the city that never sleeps, we cast them for- Mr Hyland.

BH:  YES!  7-6!

EP:  UH-oh...

NY del 3:  With our 1 vote, the city of Syracuse chooses- Mr Presley.

EP:  Phew!

C:  Will the three delegates for Ohio come forward?  Starting with you...

OH del #1: The tire maker of the world, Akron, Ohio votes for... Mr Presley.

EP:  Now we're cooking!

OH del #2: The other city by the lake, Cleveland, Ohio, votes for- Mr Presley.

BH:  Crap!

EP:  10-6!  In the bag, now...

OH del #3:  The Queen city of Cincinnati, Ohio, casts its vote for- Mr Hyland.

EP:  Hmpf.

C:  Would our brother from Ontario please come forward...

ON del:  Sir, the province of Ontario brings the vote of  the mighty city of Toronto for- Mr Hyland.

EP:  Geez, here we go again...

BH:  10-8, pal!

C:  Next would be our candidate from Oregon...

OR del: Mr Chairman, I speak for our city of Portland, who casts its vote for... Mr Hyland.

BH:   OOOOOOOOHH....

C:  The state of Pennsylvania, you are next...

PA del:  Sir, the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell, casts a vote for... Mr Presley.

EP:  Back up by 2 now...

C:  The province of Quebec, please...

QU del: Monsieur Chairman, ze vote for ze city of Montreal goes to... Mr Hyland.

BH:  11-10!  Ain't over yet!

EP:  Wanna bet?  Watch this....

C:  Will the delegate from Texas step forward?

TX del:  Mr Chairman, the great state of Texas casts a vote from San Antonio, home of the Alamo, for- Mr Presley.

EP:  THAT'S IT!  There's only one guy left and I'm up 2!

BH:  Congrats, Elvis!  No hard...

EP:  SHHHH!  I wanna hear him say it....

Wisconsin delegate:  ...and so Mr Chairman, the city of LaCrosse is proud to cast the final vote for- Mr Presley.

C:  Mr Presley wins the vote by a tally of 13-10.  Congratulations, gentlemen, on another fine job...

Congrats, Big Guy!  You are the first act to win 3 straight POTMs!  At least for another couple of months...

Wait, what?

Well, 1964-66 are coming up, and...

DON'T say it.  Don' even mention their names!

Well, stranger things HAVE happened... but anyway, let's hit the stat pack and finish with the M10.

You do that.  I'm off to have a peanut butter an' banana samwich.  Or 5. Brian, I'll buy!

BH:  Uh, maybe just a burger, thanks!

EP:  Good enuff!  Say, have you ever tried my bologna casserole?

With that, let me do up the rest of the show.  We had 2 songs tie for big mover at 20 spots:  Frankie Lymon's Little Bitty Pretty One from 72-52, and Chubby Checker doing The Twist from 42-22.  We did have a couple of thumbs up tunes picked out, but we're running way long, so maybe next time.  The other English #1s-  The UK had the original by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates of the later Guess Who hit Shakin' All Over; Canada went with Elvis yet again; and Australia was singing along with Jimmie Rodgers and Just A Closer Walk With Thee.  And my M10- careening swiftly towards its fifth anniversary- finishes out thusly:


The Explorer's Club goes back to back, its former #1 Didn't Want To Have To Do It at #8, down 1.

Another former #1, the Jayhawks and Bad Time, tumbles from 2 to 7.

Basia Bulat holds at 6 with Your Girl.

A bitter pill for the Jayhawks next- Bitter Pill gets pushed down a spot to #5.

With the hottest bullet imaginable, The Beths go from 9 to 4 with Jump Rope Gazers.

Brooke Annibale sneaks up one to 3 with Home Again; Dent May does the same to #2 with I Could Use A Miracle.

Which means a second week at the top for....

...Hazel English and Five And Dime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And with that, tune in next time when the man, the myth, the legend, Elvis and I do up 1961!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- 1 John

1 John is a bit difficult, because on a first read through, it seems to continually loop back on itself- John's way of saying the principle he's trying to get at ties together with all its evidences.  It can get confusing, but if you take the time to 'un-spaghetti" it, it becomes much clearer.

It starts with God giving you the opportunity of faith, and acting on that faith gives you the special privilege of being born of God.  This begs the questions- faith in what, and and what is the privilege?  He answers both of these in the loops.  And he does this by having three statements that don't so much belong to those loops, but stand apart as bedrock principles.

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.   This is the first one, we show our love for God by keeping His commandments.  And John told us these commandments in a previous verse- to obey Him, and love those others born of Him.


1Jn 5:4  For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.  This is the second one, and it shows us answers to the 2 questions I asked before.  What is the privilege we gain?  To be able to overcome the world.  And how do we overcome the world?  By faith.  But what is that faith?


John goes on to tell us that we have been told by God through His own testimony- both in the Word and in what the Apostles were witness to.  So that third bedrock principle asks the question, 'what is God's testimony?'



1Jn 5:10  Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.
1Jn 5:11  And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Last week, I had a comment- whether on WBS or Sunday Message, I don't remember- that SOUNDED- hard to get true intent electronically- like, 'I believe in God, His teachings apply no matter what you believe in, and that's good enough'.  But it isn't good enough.  The faith that OVERCOMES the world is faith in God's testimony that Jesus Christ is the way to Him.  If all you are considering is a good life and good reputation and good marks in THIS world, then yeah, it's good enough.  But this world is NOT the end.  This world must be OVERCOME, and there IS just one way to do that.


John's way of explaining these things is a lot like that testimony that God gave.  If you really read the Old Testament, you can see Jesus's footprints all through it.  You only see them directly here and there, but if you look, you see what they TIE TO.  To believe the God of the Old Testament and not still seek the promised Messiah is like taking the written half of your driving test and never bothering to ever get in a car.  To think God would shut off His Word and then never GIVE you that Messiah is to say, "I guess God kinda lost interest", and if you know God at all, you know that's not true.  But then you have to take that next step and consider- was Jesus this Messiah?  And if in genuinely seeking this answer, you follow the life of Christ in the New Testament- and look for how it ties to His footsteps in the Old- then you will understand that testimony of God.

Picture post

Since everything went haywire a few weeks in the rear view (my health, heat, rain, my health, etc), We haven't went for many picture walks.  Here's one done today...

Don't believe it's another bunny summer?  Here's one...

...two...

...three in the first five minutes!

Butterfly sex (See the slightly yellow, folded one on top?)

"Thank God, the woods!  Hot out there..."

Misty off-roads for a drink

Bumblebee was having more luck getting a meal in the breeze than I was a picture

Here, a 'point-and-pray' paid off!

Sunday Message: the three rules

I read something stated by one of two Christian men about the actions he agreed with from another last night- men that I respect but an opinion I do not.  So this morning I was ready to cloak myself in the self-righteousness of MY opinion and 'preach' a message I've already expressed before- just with their names attached.  As I pondered, I thought about that I have considered in the past that 'action man' has been a bit 'I'm always right' in the past.... and wondered if that's where I was going.  And when I gave the whole thing to God, He showed me that I need to apply a tool I often use at work to not make an ass of myself in this instance.


I have three rules I try to run any complaint through before I express it.  If it cannot pass all three rules, I say nothing.  And when I thought about it, I saw that it was a better lesson to share.


First one:  Is it helpful?  In my heart, I believe it would be- to the audience in question.  But here, before you that read my Sunday messages, you've heard it before.  I have already said something to the audience in question;  repeating it here would satisfy my sinful need to 'be proven right', but not much else.  To determine if something is helpful, you have to consider not only the comment, but who gets to hear it.


Second one:  Has it been said before?  Now, one could battle me on this on the basis of Jesus's parable about the woman going before the wicked judge, I suppose.  But if you think about that case, she was going to someone whom might make a difference, and not so much to convince him as to harry him into a response.  Is that what I really want to do- and is my audience actually able to do anything about it.  In my case here, both answers are no.  But if you noticed that Law #2 was sprung from application of Law#1, then you'll notice that the same holds true between this one and the next.

Third one: Will it make a difference?  This one is easy.  If my dispute is with one person and my comment is to someone else, someone who's only real involvement would be to agree or disagree with me, then I am not seeking to change a mind or fix a problem, I am seeking support from others for MY position.  If I am truly seeking God, it is only HIS opinion that matters- and whether I am in line with it or not.

Thus, I have said all there is to say on the original matter; but the three rules can be helpful to this audience as well as to me, in this circumstance and many others.