Some thoughts for Today, Perseverance and Faith

2 Thessalonians 1

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Thanksgiving for Faith and Perseverance

1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; 4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your [a]perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.

 5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6 [b]For after all it is only just [c]for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted [d]and to us as well [e]when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with [f]His mighty angels in flaming fire,

 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

 10 when He comes to be glorified [g]in His [h]saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will [i]count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Footnotes:

2 Thessalonians 1:4 Or steadfastness

2 Thessalonians 1:6 Lit If indeed

2 Thessalonians 1:6 Or in the sight of

2 Thessalonians 1:7 Lit along with us

2 Thessalonians 1:7 Lit at the revelation of the Lord Jesus

2 Thessalonians 1:7 Lit the angels of His power

2 Thessalonians 1:10 Or in the persons of

2 Thessalonians 1:10 Or holy ones

2 Thessalonians 1:11 Or make

The Bible Panorama

2 Thessalonians 1

V 1–2: THESSALONIANS Paul, along with Sylvanus and Timothy, again writes to the church of the Thessalonians. He uses an identical greeting to the one in the first letter

. V 3: THANKSGIVING Paul again thanks God for them because of their growing faith and love which abounds towards each person in the church.

V 4–7: TRIBULATIONS The growth of their faith and love is in the context of the tribulations that they are enduring along with persecution. This is producing patience in them that causes Paul to hold them up as an example to other churches, and he reminds them that God will repay those who are troubling them at Christ’s second coming.

 V 8–10: THEN This takes Paul on to his focus on the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This will be a day of vengeance for those who do not obey His gospel and who will be punished with ‘everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord’. ‘On that day’, He will come to be ‘glorified in His saints’.

 V 11–12: THEREFORE This causes Paul and his party to pray for the Thessalonian church, that they will glorify God and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive divine grace.

The Bible Panorama. Copyright © 2005 Day One Publications.

Sunday's no longer a day of rest from parking fines: Wardens target 'churchgoers and choristers' as tickets increase 13% in just five months, Daily Mail

• Motorists are being handed nearly 900,000 parking fines a month
• Tickets issued on Sundays have increased by 13 per cent
• The AA says some traffic wardens 'target churchgoers and choristers'

By RAY MASSEY, TRANSPORT EDITOR

PUBLISHED: 01:31, 20 September 2013 | UPDATED: 01:32, 20 September 2013

 
 
 

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The number of parking tickets issued on a Sunday has rocketed after scores of councils introduced seven-day patrols.

Figures show motorists are being stung by almost 900,000 parking fines a month at a cost of £30million – a 4 per cent rise on the previous year.

And tickets issued on Sundays have increased by 13 per cent – with nearly 300,000 tickets issued on that day of the week in the first five months of 2013.

Increase: Motorists are being stung by almost 900,000 parking fines a month at a cost of £30million - a 4 per cent rise on the previous year. While tickets issued on Sundays have increased by 13 per cent

It is believed the rise of Sunday shopping has prompted more town halls to crack down on parking on a day when rules were traditionally relaxed. 

And the AA says some traffic wardens had even ‘targeted churchgoers and choristers’.

The figures were revealed by LV= car insurance in a series of freedom of information requests.

The AA says some traffic wardens had even 'targeted churchgoers and choristers'

The company said: ‘While there has been  a general increase across all council areas, there has been  a significant spike in the number of tickets being issued on Sundays.’

 

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Westminster Council in London has given out the largest number of Sunday parking tickets so far this year at 16,464, followed by the London borough of Lambeth (6,590), Birmingham City Council (3,909), the London borough of Bexley (3,786) and Bristol (1,686).

Councils across the UK now hand out an average of 162 parking tickets a day, compared to 154 in 2012, according to the LV= report.

But drivers suffer a postcode lottery when it comes to rules on Sunday parking. 

John O’Roarke, managing  director of LV=, said: ‘Parking on a Sunday is becoming increasingly difficult and it’s easy to get caught out if you don’t know the local rules.’

AA president Edmund King said it was ‘as if nothing is sacred’, adding: ‘It’s mean-spirited to fine people on a Sunday. 

‘The traditional day of rest – when even motorists deserve a bit of relief – is being eroded  in favour of revenue raising. Money destined for the collection plate is instead flowing into council coffers.’

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World's top climate scientists told to 'cover up' the fact that the Earth's temperature hasn't risen for the last 15 years, Daily Mail

• Leaked United Nations report reveals the world's temperature hasn't risen for the last 15 years
• Politicians have raised concerns about the final draft
• Fears that the findings will encourage deniers of man-made climate change

By TAMARA COHEN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

PUBLISHED: 20:40, 19 September 2013 | UPDATED: 20:41, 19 September 2013

 
 
 

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Scientists working on the most authoritative study on climate change were urged to cover up the fact that the world’s temperature hasn’t risen for the last 15 years, it is claimed.

A leaked copy of a United Nations report, compiled by hundreds of scientists, shows politicians in Belgium, Germany, Hungary and the United States raised concerns about the final draft.

Published next week, it is expected to address the fact that 1998 was the hottest year on record and world temperatures have not yet exceeded it, which scientists have so far struggled to explain.

The report is the result of six years’ work by UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is seen as the world authority on the extent of climate change and what is causing it – on which governments including Britain’s base their green policies.

Concerns: Scientists have been urged to cover up the fact that the Earth's temperature hasn't risen for the last 15 years amid fears it would provide ammunition for deniers of man-made climate change

But leaked documents seen by the Associated Press, yesterday revealed deep concerns among politicians about a lack of global warming over the past few years.

Germany called for the references to the slowdown in warming to be deleted, saying looking at a time span of just 10 or 15 years was ‘misleading’ and they should focus on decades or centuries.

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has changed its tune after issuing stern warnings about climate change for years

Hungary worried the report would provide ammunition for deniers of man-made climate change.

Belgium objected to using 1998 as a starting year for statistics, as it was exceptionally warm and makes the graph look flat - and suggested using 1999 or 2000 instead to give a more upward-pointing curve.

 

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The United States delegation even weighed in, urging the authors of the report to explain away the lack of warming using the ‘leading hypothesis’ among scientists that the lower warming is down to more heat being absorbed by the ocean – which has got hotter.

The last IPCC ‘assessment report’ was published in 2007 and has been the subject of huge controversy after it had to correct the embarrassing claim that the Himalayas would melt by 2035.

It was then engulfed in the ‘Climategate’ scandal surrounding leaked emails allegedly showing scientists involved in it trying to manipulate their data to make it look more convincing – although several inquiries found no wrongdoing.

The latest report, which runs to 2,000 pages, will be shown to representatives from all 195 governments next week at a meeting in Stockholm, who can discuss alterations they want to make.

But since it was issued to governments in June, they have raised hundreds of objections about the 20-page summary for policymakers, which sums up the findings of the scientists.

What it says will inform renewable energy policies and how much consumers and businesses will pay for them.

The report is expected to say the rate of warming between 1998 and 2012 was about half of the average rate since 1951 – and put this down to natural variations such as the El Nino and La Nina ocean cycles and the cooling effects of volcanoes.

A leaked copy of the United Nations report, compiled by hundreds of scientists, shows politicians in Belgium, Germany, Hungary and the United States have raised concerns about the final draft. Above, the United Nations headquarters building in New York

A German climate scientist - Stefan Rahmstorf, who reviewed the chapter on sea levels - yesterday admitted it was possible the report’s authors were feeling under pressure to address the slowdown in warming due to the ‘public debate’ around the issue.

The draft report, which is not new research but a synthesis of all the work being done by scientists around the world, is likely to be highly disputed at the three-day meeting.

It will make the case that humans are causing global warming with carbon emissions even more strongly upgrading it from ‘very likely’ in 2007 to ‘extremely likely’ it is manmade.

But scientists are under pressure to explain why the warming has not exceeded 1998 levels although the decade 2000-2010 was the hottest on record.

Alden Meyer, of the Union of Concerned Scientists based in Washington, said yesterday: ‘I think to not address it would be a problem because then you basically have the denialists saying: ‘Look the IPCC is silent on this issue.’

Jonathan Lynn, a spokesman for the IPCC said yesterday: ‘This is the culmination of four years’ work by hundreds of scientists, where governments get a chance to ensure the summary for policymakers is clear and concise in a dialogue with the scientists who wrote it, and have the opportunity to raise any topics they think should be highlighted.’

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EXCLUSIVE Fury over move to let migrants use foreign languages in town hall debates

EXCLUSIVE Fury over move to let migrants use foreign languages in town hall debates