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Colorado: Part I

Some highlights from my trip to Breckenridge, Colorado...

Aug 21

• Had to get my license plate tags renewed before I left town... always a chore.
• Forgot my checkbook at the DMV so I had to go back.
• Got pulled over for running a stop sign one block from my sister's house before leaving for CO.
• Had an uneventful flight from STL to DIA.
• Ended up with a 4-banger Kia Sportage rental.
• Got a meatloaf sandwich for lunch at the Happy Cooker.
• Figured out the 4-banger Kia Sportage sucks for driving in the mountains of Colorado.
• Met up with mom and dad & checked into our condos
• Had dinner at the Breckenridge Brewery with 2 of Erin & Steve's friends -- Shane and Jason. I had a reuben.
• Mom and dad decided to give me the master bedroom (king-sized bed and private bathroom w/ whirlpool tub and walk-in closet) so they could move around more in the bigger common room (trundle bed and pull-out couch). I wasn't going to complain.
  

Aug 22

• Went to the Blue Moose for breakfast (I had pancakes, eggs, bacon, and half a cinnamon roll)
• Everyone went to buy groceries, and I stayed behind to get some peace and quiet and do some reading.
• Mom and dad found Country Bob's Steak Sauce at the grocery, which is produced in Centralia, IL... not too far from our hometown.
• Grilled steak for dinner.
  
• While we were waiting for the steak, I found a lego table in the game room of our complex. I rejoiced greatly.
• Additionally, there was a life-size chess set near the grills that dad and I tried out after dinner.
• Played Yahtzee later on... I took names by rolling 3 yahtzees.

More to come...

Looking forward to vacation

Jedi Gym

Watch the whole thing... even if its hard. :)

Reading the Bible -- Jude 1-4

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,
To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:

2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
The sin and doom of Godless men
3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Jude starts off as most of the NT letters do: by identifying himself. We find out in verse 1, that Jude is the brother of James, who is the brother of Jesus thus, Jude was also a brother of Jesus. Most likely, this is the same Jude (or Judas) that is referred to in Matthew 13:55 - a son born to Joseph and Mary after the birth of Jesus.

The end of verse 1 determines the audience of the letter - in simple terms, true believers.

Verse 3 starts us off on an interesting note. It seems that the letter of Jude is not the actual letter he wished to write. Originally he sought to write about "the salvation we share," however circumstances made it such that a new topic took precedence. That topic being the defense of the faith against the false teachers that have started popping up in the church.

He goes on to use some pretty powerful phrases such as "men whose condemnation was written about long ago" and "godless men" to describe these false teachers who have "secretly slipped in" to pervert the Gospel of grace.

Licentiousness was an issue all the NT writers had to deal with. A common battle Paul had to face with his fairly revolutionary Gospel of free grace was that this led to liberal living and moral flexibility. The so-called "Christ died so that I can do whatever the heck I want" mentality. Jude was no exception in having to participate in this battle.

We see a glimpse of the argument against licentiousness that Jude will be making here in verse 4. First, he firmly states that "license for immorality" is changing the "grace of our God," which would not make it grace at all. Moreover, changing grace from what it actually is, is a flat out denial of Jesus Christ, who, as Jude states is "our only Soverign and Lord." The language here, speaking to Christ's authoritative role over the Christian.

In the following verses, we will see this theme fleshed out more.

Reading the Bible

So I'm gonna try something new. I'm going to blog about what I'm reading in the Bible. The hope is this will keep me accountable to reading and actually thinking about what I read.

I'm starting with Jude because I don't think I've ever heard a sermon or seen much spoken/written about the book. And I find it immensely interesting.

Stay tuned...

The Crossing & AC on KMOV

http://www.kmov.com/video/lateststories-index.html?nvid=389135&shu=1