TGIF
It all depends on who writes the story.
One of the most interesting (and shocking) stories I’ve read lately was about baseball legend Ty Cobb.
Sports fans know all about Cobb…the greatest hitter ever, who also happened to be the most evil man ever to lace up cleats.
He was, they told us, a racist, a skinflint, and quite probably a murderer.
The cruel old man died drunk and alone and few went to his funeral.
That’s the story…except the story isn’t true.
It turns out that Cobbs biographer was an alcohol besotted opportunist himself and made up a wicked tale that would sell.
In reality, Cobb was indeed eccentric and thin skinned, but nowhere near the monster he was made out to be.
Cobb died before he could stop publication of the screed, so the wicked Cobb is the one we know.
Church history buffs will know that a similar fate befell John Calvin.
Immediately after his death two biographies were written about the Genevan Reformer.
One was a tribute by his protege Theodore Beza.
The other was one of the most vicious books of the century ,written by Calvin’s sworn enemy Jerome Bolsec.
The nicest thing Bolsec said about Calvin was that he was a heretic, the worst, that he enjoyed bestiality.
Scandal sold in the sixteenth century as well as it does today…Bolsecs book became the “official” biography of Calvin.
Calvin preceded Cobb in being wrongly immortalized as a historically bad man.
It all depended on who wrote the story.
We all have a story too…but the ending has already been written.
Your name has been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and because of that the story about you goes like this.
You have been chosen.
You have been called.
You have been justified.
You have been sanctified.
You are already seen as glorified.
It’s the story of how God loved you from eternity past and will love you for all eternity to come.
The Author and Finisher of your faith doesn’t allow edits and is your only authorized biographer.
The scandalous parts were erased in blood.
Your story has a very happy ending…
You can depend on the One who wrote your story.
Make your own application…
Dayyumm, that was crazy good!!!
Thanks, CK. 🙂
“The Author and Finisher of your faith doesn’t allow edits and is your only authorized biographer. The scandalous parts were erased in blood.”
Thank you Jesus!!!
I’m so glad that the scandalous parts are erased. The soap opera of my life within the past year would be enough to condemn me to hell for all eternity. Thank God for His forgiveness, restoration and reconciliation. Thank God that “It is finished!!!”
Amen, CK.
We’re all in the same boat…but thank God the boat is headed home.
I hope this was encouraging for you and others today.
I can depend upon the One who wrote my story! Amen!!
You know, Michael, I’m not entirely sure, but that might be the best thing I’ve ever seen from your keyboard. Onward and upward! 🙂
Beautifully hopeful. Thank you so much.
Wow, I feel like I just received a 4-5 point Calvinistic sermon from pastor Newnham. 🙂
It didn’t take 35 minutes either.
The Lord is good. Praise the Lord. Lord bless Michael.
Glad I stopped by. Inspirational message. Thanks.
Thanks Nonnie, Matt, and Paige.
Jean…sometimes I can’t help myself. 🙂
Thanks, J.U.
I’m offline for most of the weekend…thanks to all for reading.
Very good. A great uplifting reminder today.
I like Ty Coob. I am sure that Luther used to slide cleats up also. 🙂
I saw Tommy Lee Jones play Ty Cobb, and he wasn’t a very pleasant fellow 🙂
Seriously though, just echoing the other comments. This is good!
i thank God for two things that this post has reminded me of… yes, i do so praise God for sins forgiven and forgotten… and praise Him also, that He knows and marks the gossiper (& the ones who listen)…
i’ve never trusted biographies, very much… do we think of gossip being simply catty? as in i hear the pastor yelled at his wife the other day because she bought an expensive this or that? NO – many, many saints (& sinners) have gone to their graves with their reputations blackened by someone’s ugly natured malice …
with the exception of some guys like Stalin and that Nazi, who must remain unnamed lest some here be offended by using the ‘H’ card… i’m much more interested in the environment of the times than i am in the supposed insider knowledge of the key players in history – dunno, tho, do i? 🙂
Excellent article, Michael!
I must admit I didn’t quite get where you were going with it but when I was finished, I was utterly delighted! Joy is the word that comes to mind. Thank you for giving me something to rejoice about today!
home run…
…with a bat flip. 😉
Yeah!
Same can be said of the Canonization process as well as the bible interpretations.
Depends on who did the interpreting and did the picking and choosing.
Dreadly agrees with this so this is in keeping with other views expressed on here many times. To believe in biblical godlike perfection you have to assert that every human being involved in that messy process acted perfectly, and of course they did not.
The story is written, we’re just playing our parts/roles in the Universe/Multiverse.
On my way to mandatory mediation with Captain A-hole, BG.
He’s now floating dropping the lawsuit since I won’t budge. Typical feckless bully. Causes all sort of pain to others, gets everyone to cave….except the one guy who can be a bigger a-hole. Then when he can’t get him to flinch and gets his arse handed to him, he threatens to pull the plug and run rather than face or a Jury or give his victims some measure of Justice.
On my way to mandatory mediation with Captain A-hole, BG.
He’s now floating dropping the lawsuit since I won’t budge. Typical feckless bully. Causes all sorts of pain to others, gets everyone to cave….except the one guy who can be a bigger a-hole. Then when he can’t get me to flinch and gets his arse handed to him, he threatens to pull the plug and run rather than face a Jury or give his victims some measure of Justice.
This is your hero, Calvary Chapel. And, you have stood by the whole time and done nothing, other than attack me or say “not my problem”. Shameful. I’ve probably got many years left before I croak (most likely, no guarantees)….and I’ve got some ideas of how to get some Justice that includes all the Calvary Chapel franchises and Org.