Thought for August 17

 History:

• 1807: Robert Fulton's Clermont begins first trip up the Hudson
• 1859: First airmail--via balloon
• 1870: First ascent of Mt. Rainier
• 1891: Electric self-starter for automobile patented
• 1903: Joseph Pulitzer donates $1 million to Columbia University to start the Pulitzer Prize
• 1915: Galveston Hurricane kills 275
• 1945: Korea divided along the 38th parallel
• 1946: George Orwell publishes Animal Farm
• 1952: "Fallout" first used [NY Times]
• 1957: Bad day for Alice Roth at the ballpark--hit twice by Richie Ashburn foul balls--1st breaks her nose, second hits her on the stretcher as she is taken out
• 1969: Hurricane Camille kills 259 on the Gulf Coast
• 1973: Willie Mays hits his last home run
• 1998: Clinton admits "improper physical relationship" with Monica Lewinsky
• 2012: Moscow bans Gay pride events for 100 years
• 2020: University of NC is first college to send students home and convert to online due to Covid
• Born: Davy Crockett, Frederick Russell [1st effective typhoid vaccine], Samuel Goldwyn [MGM], Mae West, Maureen O'Hara, Francis Gary Powers, Gene Kranz [NASA], Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Jon Gruden, Dottie Pepper, Christian Laettner, 
• Died: Frederick the Great, Billy Fiske [1st American serviceman killed in WWII], Vivian Vance [Ethel Mertz], Ira Gershwin, Pearl Bailey, 

Thought:

Reading Matthew 7:13-29 this morning. Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Mount with teachings about making the right choices. Today, I am thinking about choosing the right path. In the Old Testament, the people were challenged to choose the right path:

• Deuteronomy 30:15-20--Moses tells the people that he has placed in front of them the way to life and the way to death, then urges them to choose the path to life. You may recall that Moses has told the people that after they cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, they are to go to the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim near the town of Shechem where Jacob's well is located. Part of the people are to gather on Mount Ebal and recite the curses that will befall the people if they do evil [Deuteronomy 27]. Among the curses are those for making idols, dishonoring parents, cheating a neighbor, mistreating an orphan or widow, committing sexual sins, taking a bride or violating the laws. The consequences of these curses are listed in chapter 28. The other tribes gather on Mount Gerizim and recite the blessings that come from following God and keeping His commandments [Deuteronomy 28].  God always is clear about the wages of sin and the blessings of obedience. He always places before the people a choice, just like He did in the garden. 
• Joshua 24:15--after the people come into the Promised Land, Joshua stands before them and says--choose today whom you will serve. This is a choice we each face every day--today, choose whom you will serve. Joshua says that he and his house will serve the Lord. Today, I have to make that choice again.

How do you choose the right path? 

• The Right Path:
• Narrow. A single gate. There are not multiple ways to life with God. So anyone who tells you there are several ways to please God and have eternity with Him is lying. Jesus said, I am THE door [John 10:9]; I am THE way [John 14:6]; make every effort to enter the narrow door [Luke 13:24]. We get accused of being narrow-minded, biased, exclusive, intolerant, not inclusive. Jesus was totally inclusive in His invitation--whosoever believes. But He was narrow in the Way. So I want to be inclusive in my invitation to all to come to Jesus, but I am exclusive in describing the Way.
• Few on the path. For there is a way that seems right to man [Proverbs 16:25] but its end is the way of death. Satan will do everything possible to put us on the wrong path--the easy way, the fun way, the pleasurable way, the popular way. If I find myself on the path that is crowded and seems like everyone is headed that way, I need to stop and check out the path.
• Leads to life. Jesus said He is THE way, but He also said He is THE life. Outside of Jesus, there is no life, only death. 
• The wrong path:
• Wide and broad. Everyone just needs to get along. Everyone's ideas are as good as the next. Don't be dogmatic, you could be wrong. 
• Many are on the path. 
• The end is destruction. It looks good right up till the end---then destruction. 

You might Google Robert Frost's poem this morning--The Road Not Taken. "Two roads diverged in a wood and I---I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

Blessings

Larry