Jesus never called crowds...

 Jesus never called crowds... he called disciples.

   ²⁵ Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, ²⁶"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. ²⁷Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' ³¹Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³²If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.  -Luke 14:25-33

Francis Schaeffer's continuing impact

I just watched a video clip from PBS: FRONTLINE about Schaeffer because it seems that Michele Bachmann (a potential Republican candidate for the up coming US elections) considers him influential in her political and spiritual formation.

The article/video references a ten part video series by Schaeffer called How Shall We then Live. If you click the link I gave in the previous sentence you can view the first part of that series. The series was thought provoking when I watched most of it last year, check it out. (I found this blog that has almost all of the episodes on it!)

Chiasm: 1 Samuel 11-31

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Another possible and fairly large chiasm I found in 1 Samuel. The previous possible chiasm in 1 Samuel 22-24 is potentially covered by this chiasm. I get the impression that it would take stroke of genius to craft multiple chiasms overlapping each other as an author were drafting a historical narrative. Overlapping chiasms are not out of the question, but right now I'm not going to consider them without a stronger chiastic structure. I recommend looking at both, choosing one, or none as authentic, intended chiastic structure.

A. Saul saves Jabesh-gilead (11:5-11)

  B. Jonathan cursed to death because of Saul's oath (14:39-4)

    C. Saul defeated Amalek (did not correct the army's sin) (15:7-8)

      D. Judgment for not destroying Amalek (15:17-19)

        E. Saul's kingdom torn & given to David (15:28-16:13)

          F. Saul greatly afraid of Philistines (17:11)

            G. David fights man of Gath (17:48-48)

              H. Saul asks David who he is (17:55-58)

                I. Saul tries to pin David with his spear (18:10-11)

                  J. David marries Michal (18:27)

                    K. Saul convinced not to kill David (19:6)

                      L. Saul tries to kill David (19:8-24)

                        M. Jonathan and David make covenant (20:1-42)

                          N. Ahimelech helps David (21:1-6)

                            O. Doeg at Nob (21:7)

                              P. David goes to king of Gath (21:10-15)

                                Q. David is captain of a band (22:1-2)

                              P'. David goes to king of Moab (22:3-4)

                            O'. Doeg kills all the priests of Nob (22:9-19)

                          N'. son of Ahimelech helps David (23:6-12)

                        M'. Jonathan and David make covenant (23:16-18)

                      L'. Saul hunts for David to kill him (23:19-29)

                    K'. Saul convinced not to kill David (24:1-22)

                  J'. David marries Abigail and Ahinoam (but Michal another) (25:42-44)

                I'. David refuses to use Saul's spear to kill him (26:8-12)

              H'. Saul asks David who he is (26:17)

            G'. David in Gath (27:1-4)

          F'. Saul greatly afraid of the Philistines (28:5)

        E'. Saul's kingdom torn & given to David (28:17)

      D'. Because Saul did not carry out wrath on Amalek (28:18)

    C'. David defeated Amalek (corrected the army's sin) (30:16-17)

  B'. Saul and sons die (31:6)

A'. men of Jabesh-gilead honor Saul (31:11-13)

Chiasm: 1 Samuel 22-24

A: Saul's guard will not obey him to kill Ahimelech (anointed priest) (22:7)

   B: David fights Philistines (23:1-5)

      C: Saul tries to corner David at Keilah (23:7-8)

        D: men of Keilah would have surrendered David to Saul (23:12)

          E: Jonathan strengthens and encourages David (23:15-18)

        D': Ziphites try to surrender David to Saul (23:19-24)

      C': Saul tries to corner David at the Rock of Escape (23:25-26)

   B': Saul fights Philistines (23:27-28)

A': David will not obey his men to kill Saul (God's “anointed”) (24:4-7)

Parable of the Prodigal Son draws from Proverbs 29:3

³  A child who loves wisdom makes a parent glad, but to keep company with prostitutes is to squander one's substance. -Proverbs 29:3

From the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 5:11-32) has the following situation at the end: the obedient, elder son refuses to rejoice because he is feels that the younger foolish son does not deserve to be celebrated and welcomed home because of his foolishness. The elder son is practically quoting the above passage from Proverbs 29 to his father,

²⁵ "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' ²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' 

Now, going a different direction with this parable. Why do we even need this last part of the parable? If the parable is solely about the grace of the father (Father) for the lost, then the point is captured with ending at verse 24. Who is meant to identify with the elder son?

¹¹ So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling^b salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel^c jealous. ¹²Now if their stumbling^d means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry ¹⁴in order to make my own people^e jealous, and thus save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead! ¹⁶If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.  -Romans 11:11-15

Humility

Apostle Philip's tomb found

check out the article yourself: http://www.aa.com.tr/en/tomb-of-philip-the-apostle-discovered.html