One of the things that the Bereans of Acts 17 are applauded for is that they examined the Scriptures every day.  This verse is sometimes used as a proof text for the need for us to have daily devotions.  While I can think of many reasons why daily Bible intake is a good idea, this text does not really support that notion.  Within the context, Paul is teaching in the synagogue each day, and so it is within this context a natural response to anyone who is being taught.  The Bereans took what Paul taught and examined its content against Scripture.  The fact that they did it every day was more a function of how often Paul taught than a definitive statement of the Bereans being in the habit of daily devotions.

SMJ

And yet everything remains pretty much the same.

Our internal clocks will take a little while to catch up with the mechanical clocks which rule our lives, and when they do, we will hardly notice that time has changed, because most everything else stays the same.

Dramatic, life changing change doesn't come about because we set our clocks back an hour!  Life altering change usually happens within the context of the people around us.  Kind of makes you want to be more careful about who you are spending time with....

SMJ

 Walking through many stores over the past month we were greeted by Halloween candy, costumes and decorations.  And Christmas trees.  Businesses are always supposed to be looking ahead.  That of course doesn't necessarily mean that I want to be looking ahead to Christmas before we have even finalized plans for Halloween.

The same is true of elections.  We finally got most of the votes counted last night.  And we are already looking forward to what will happen in 2012.  So much can change in 24 months that is hardly seems worth it to spend much time prognosticating on that election.

And as far as elections go, whether you feel your ideas won or lost or some of both, elections come and go, but the Word of God endures.  And he says that whatever authority has been set over us is set there by him and we are therefore to pray for them, submit to them, and not put too much stock in their ability to address the greater issues of life.

The four freedoms made famous by FDR in 1941 (freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear) provided the impetus for great social change in the US as we engaged in a season of political activity specifically aimed at giving people the freedom from want.

Yet Jesus reminded us that we will always have the poor among us.  And as long as there are people who are poor (using whatever standard of poor you desire) people will want.  Wanting more seems to be a hallmark of humanity.  Government cannot give us freedom from want.  That can only come from a change of heart, to a heart of contentment grown in the soil of faith in God.

 I just made passing reference to the crowns of heaven in my message, and had a slide with references directing you to passages which spoke of the crowns.  I would have liked to spend more time on the topic.  It may well work its way into a sermon series next year.  

I named five crowns of heaven, the incorruptible crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory and the crown of life.  

The Crown of Righteousness,  will be given to those who have lived a good and righteous life for God while living down here on this earth.  Paul mentions it in II Timothy 4:7-8.

The Incorruptible Crown is mentioned in I Corinthians 9:25 as a reward for faithfulness in completing the race Christ has set before us.

The Crown of Life is sometimes called the Martyr's Crown because of its mention in Revelation 2:10.  But the same crown is mentioned in James 1:12 as going to those who persevered under trial, with no reference to death.

The Crown of Glory is mentioned in I Peter 5:2-4 as a reward for leadership within the local church.  This crown has sometimes been called the Shepherd's Crown and some suggest that it is only available to pastors.  I believe the context would indicate that this crown is awarded to leaders in the local church.

The Crown of Rejoicing, from I Thes 2:19-20 is perhaps the weakest argument for a crown in heaven.  In the context Paul is merely saying that those he has won to Christ will be his crown, his joy or his hope.  Some have called this the Soul Winners Crown.  It may just be Paul's way of saying when he observes those in heaven who point to him as the one who directed them to Christ, they will make him happy.

SMJ