In my morning meeting with The Boss He said some stuff that really caught me off guard.

Here are some of the things that startled me…

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.”

I’ve always given thanks for people’s wealth …like if someone owns a beach property, or a mountain house, and they let me use it. Or if someone has access to a suite at a CLT Hornets, or FC, game and they invite me to join them. Or if someone takes me skiing, or out to a swanky dinner. These are the types of things that I feel I OUGHT to give thanks for. I suppose I’m okay with people growing abundantly in their faith and love, but I get way more manifestly excited whence I’m the beneficiary of someone’s worldly wealth and privilege! I don’t tend to GUSH over people’s faith, but I get VERY GUSHY whence someone invites me to join them in their suite, or on the slopes, or grants me access to their luxurious beach house!

The Lord Jesus will kill the lawless one with the breath of his mouth!

I don’t typically picture Jesus as a the killing type.

Some people refuse to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false.

We really really really want to be autonomous. We really really really want to determine our own identity and feel SELF-sufficient and SELF-satisfied. So…God gives us what we want. *Wretched people we are! Please God – invade and intervene and SAVE US FROM OURSELVES!

Keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness. Imitate us, we were not idle, but with toil and labor we worked night and day. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. If anyone does not obey what we say, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Wowza!