Thought for August 1

 History:

• 1096: The People's Crusade arrives at Constantinople
• 1774: Joseph Priestly isolates and "discovers" oxygen
• 1793: France is first country to use the metric system
• 1834: Slavery Abolition Act becomes effective in the British Empire
• 1867: Blacks vote in state election in the South for the first time [TN]
• 1900: First Michelin Guide published
• 1911: Harriet Quimby is first woman to earn aviator's certificate
• 1927: Carter Family makes its first recording
• 1941: First Jeep produced
• 1944: Anne Frank's last diary entry
• 1946: Atomic Energy commission established
• 1966: Charles Whitman kills 16 and wounds 31 at the University of Texas
• 1988: Rush Limbaugh begins national radio show
• 1996: A Game of Thrones published
• 2007: I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapses during rush hour
• 2021: US passes 35 million Covid cases
• Born: Claudius, William Clark [Lewis & Clark], Francis Scott Key, William Travis [Alamo], Herman Melville, Paul Barth [philosopher], Dom DeLuise, Jerry Garcia, Brad Faxon, Edgerrin James, 
• Died: Mark Antony, Peter Faber [Society of Jesus], Calamity Jane, Francis Gary Powers, Strother Martin [What we have here is a failure to communicate], Wilford Brimley, 

Thought:

The Beatitudes are special--they tell us how to be truly blessed by God. They are challenging and encouraging at the same time. But when Jesus really gets into His Sermon on the Mount, reading becomes difficult. Reading 5:21-26 today. In the preceding verses, Jesus has told us:

• He did not come to abolish the Law and Prophets, but to fulfill them. [5:17] Think about that word "fulfill." It can mean to accomplish, complete and perfect; or to bring into effect; or to satisfy; or perhaps as He said on the cross--to finish. The Law and prophets gave us God's plan, God's purpose and God's promises. Jesus comes the first time to fulfill and complete the plan, to demonstrate the purpose and to answer all the promises. The New Testament tells us that all the promises of God are yes and mane in Jesus.
• The Law will not pass away until God accomplishes through Jesus everything planned in the Law. [5:18] Heaven and earth will pass away but the Word of the Lord stands forever. The Law written on tablets of stone are, in Jesus and through the Holy Spirit, written on our hearts.
• Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees [5:20]. How? They kept all the rules. Well, the New Testament tells us that He who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God---in and through His righteousness we are acceptable to a Holy God. 

Now Jesus begins to explain how the law of stone becomes a law in our hearts. We think of murder as the unlawful killing of another person. And we quickly say, well at least I have not murdered anyone. Then Jesus comes and says--

•    Did you want to kill that person? Did you think "I would kill them if I thought I could get away with it."
• Did you assassinate them with words, gossip, rumors?
• Did you kill by ignoring them or treating them as less that you treat yourself? 
• Were you so angry that murder was on your mind?

When I come to worship and offer my sacrifice before the Lord do I recall a broken relationship with a brother/sister? As I confess my sin and present my offering does the Lord say what about the way you feel about ______________? Notice here that the scripture says if a brother has something against you. Perhaps you aren't angry or holding a grudge but you know the friend is. What do I do? Jesus says Larry, if that relationship is broken, before you bring an offering or worship, go and try to make things right. Then come back and worship. 

Murdered anyone this week? Maybe I need to go and reconcile, then I can worship because I have obeyed the Lord.

Blessings

Larry