By Larry Pasley
Bubba was bragging to his boss one day, “You know, I know everyone there is to know. Just name someone, anyone, and I know him.”
Tired of Bubba’s boasting, his boss called his bluff, “OK, Bubba, how about the famous film actor Tom Cruise?” “Sure, yes, Tom and I are old friends, and I can prove it.”
So Bubba and his boss fly out to Hollywood and knock on Tom Cruise’s door, and sure enough, Tom Cruise, shouts, “Bubba! Great to see you! You and your friend come right in and join me for lunch!”
Although impressed, Bubba’s boss is still skeptical. After they leave Cruise’s house, he tells Bubba that he thinks Bubba’s knowing Cruise was just lucky. “No, no, just name anyone else,” Bubba says. “President ,” his boss quickly retorts. “Yes”, Bubba says, “I know him, let’s fly to Washington.” And off they go. At the White House, Trump spots Bubba on the tour and motions him and his boss over, saying, “Bubba, what a surprise to see you! I was just on my way to a meeting, but you and your friend come in and let’s have a cup of coffee first and catch-up.”
Well, the boss is very shaken by now, but still not totally convinced. After they leave the White-House grounds, he expresses his doubts to Bubba, who again implores him to name anyone else. “The Pope,” his boss replies. “Sure!” says Bubba. “My parents are from Poland, and I’ve known the Pope for a long time.” So off they fly, to Rome.
Bubba and his boss are assembled with the masses in Vatican Square when Bubba says, “This will never work. I can’t catch the Pope’s eye, among all these people. Tell you what; I know all the guards here, so let me just go upstairs and I’ll come out on the balcony with the Pope.” And he disappears into the crowd headed toward the Vatican. Sure enough, half an hour later, Bubba emerges on the balcony with the Pope. But by the time Bubba returns, he finds that his boss has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedical personnel. Working his way to his boss’ side, Bubba asks him, “What happened?” His boss looks up and says, “I was doing fine until you and the Pope came out on the balcony and the man next to me said, “Who’s that on the balcony with Bubba?”
It’s good to know a lot of people and to be known by a lot of people but it is all meaningless if we don’t know Jesus and God and They don’t know us. Many scriptures show this importance.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
Philippians 3:8-11 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
1 John 2:3-4 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
May we all make it our aim to know God and Jesus and to be known by them.
Bubba was bragging to his boss one day, “You know, I know everyone there is to know. Just name someone, anyone, and I know him.”
Tired of Bubba’s boasting, his boss called his bluff, “OK, Bubba, how about the famous film actor Tom Cruise?” “Sure, yes, Tom and I are old friends, and I can prove it.”
So Bubba and his boss fly out to Hollywood and knock on Tom Cruise’s door, and sure enough, Tom Cruise, shouts, “Bubba! Great to see you! You and your friend come right in and join me for lunch!”
Although impressed, Bubba’s boss is still skeptical. After they leave Cruise’s house, he tells Bubba that he thinks Bubba’s knowing Cruise was just lucky. “No, no, just name anyone else,” Bubba says. “President ,” his boss quickly retorts. “Yes”, Bubba says, “I know him, let’s fly to Washington.” And off they go. At the White House, Trump spots Bubba on the tour and motions him and his boss over, saying, “Bubba, what a surprise to see you! I was just on my way to a meeting, but you and your friend come in and let’s have a cup of coffee first and catch-up.”
Well, the boss is very shaken by now, but still not totally convinced. After they leave the White-House grounds, he expresses his doubts to Bubba, who again implores him to name anyone else. “The Pope,” his boss replies. “Sure!” says Bubba. “My parents are from Poland, and I’ve known the Pope for a long time.” So off they fly, to Rome.
Bubba and his boss are assembled with the masses in Vatican Square when Bubba says, “This will never work. I can’t catch the Pope’s eye, among all these people. Tell you what; I know all the guards here, so let me just go upstairs and I’ll come out on the balcony with the Pope.” And he disappears into the crowd headed toward the Vatican. Sure enough, half an hour later, Bubba emerges on the balcony with the Pope. But by the time Bubba returns, he finds that his boss has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedical personnel. Working his way to his boss’ side, Bubba asks him, “What happened?” His boss looks up and says, “I was doing fine until you and the Pope came out on the balcony and the man next to me said, “Who’s that on the balcony with Bubba?”
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It’s good to know a lot of people and to be known by a lot of people but it is all meaningless if we don’t know Jesus and God and They don’t know us. Many scriptures show this importance.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
Philippians 3:8-11 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
1 John 2:3-4 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
May we all make it our aim to know God and Jesus and to be known by them.
- Larry Pasley serves as a minister with the Jackson
Street Church of Christ in Alexandria, LA. He may be contacted
through the congregation's website at http://www.JacksonStAlex.com
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