Didn’t Krispy Kreme donuts go bankrupt last year? It must have been for protection. Headline yesterday said that Starbucks is no longer North America’s favorite coffee shop. Krispy Kreme is. How and when did that happen? I knew where several Krispy Kreme shops were, but they all closed.
Krispy is owned by JAB Holding Co. This Luxembourg based-company owns Keurig-Green Mountain and said last week it plans to acquire Dr. Pepper-Snapple Group Inc.

Speculation that Dunkin Donuts could be purchased by Paneras’ parent company while JAB Holding company agreed to buy Panera Bread Co. for about $7.5 billion. JAB Holding Co. already owns Au Bo Pain and Peets Coffee and Tea.
Tim Hortons, a Canadian coffee chain, has acquired Burger King and Popeyes. I hear great things about Tim Hortons coffee. I know there is a Tim Hortons in Ft. Wayne, and I have Peets in my coffee safe.

Research concluded that Peets is the best—healthiest and most desirable among dozens of brands with Dunkin (Original) coming in second. The shocker for me was that Eight-O-Clock brand was number one in another test study. It has been winning best taste surveys since 1859. My friends who travel internationally say Au Bo Pain is a winner.

All of this says something about bankruptcy laws and when you buy a burger or drink Dr. Pepper it is hard to know who really is running the corporation. And where do we go to find a Krispy Kreme coffee shop? If it is that good I want a cup.

There are so many layers of ownership and management and diversification. Who is really in control?

A week ago, I was listening to sermon on strongholds and it nailed me. Strongholds are the key component in limiting maturity in Christ. They are targets in renewing the mind. Strongholds appear to be the major block to accomplishment.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 is a manual on getting at stronghold walls and what is hiding or hidden inside. After all the verbiage is defined, it seems to me we are told to work through the layers to find who/what the “parent company” is that controls our stronghold(s).

The arguments, pretensions, disobedience are not outside us, but within protective walls in the soul. They come like grenades over the wall to keep the hidden, secret, stuffed memories or thinking patterns from being confronted by truth. What is the parent company with controlling stock?

Paul says we are to abolish, bring into subjection, punish, take captive. The conflict is against whatever comes against “the knowledge of Christ.” I’m thinking that is not limited to an evangelistic conversation, but grappling with our own self-talk and faith that is not accepting God’s view of us.

We were watching a little bird. It stepped outside the bird house entrance onto a limb and announce its joy. Carole said, “I think that bird is singing over its house.” No argument, pretense, disobedience.

Here’s to Krispy Kreme and to demolished barriers to our thriving and God’s favor.

Copyright 2018 D. Dean Benton dean@deanbenton.org