Thought for October 31

 History: 

  • 445 BC: Said by some to be the day Ezra read the law in Nehemiah 9:1
  • 1517: Martin Luther sends 95 theses to Archbishop of Mainz
  • 1541: Michelangelo completes "The Last Judgement" in the Sistine Chapel
  • 1846: Donner Party is unable to cross the pass and sets up camp for the winter
  • 1888: John Dunlop patents pneumatic bicycle tire
  • 1917: Last cavalry charge--4th Australian Light Horse at Battle of Beersheba in Palestine
  • 1918: 21,000 die in US in one week due to Spanish flu
  • 1941: Mount Rushmore completed
  • 1950: Earl Lloyd is first Black to play in the NBA
  • 1962: "Whatever Happened tp Baby Jane" premiers
  • 1968: LBJ orders halt to bombing of North Viet Nam
  • 1984: Indira Gandhi assassinated
  • 1992: Catholic Church apologizes for mistreating Galileo 359 years ago
  • 1994: Venus Williams makes her professional debut [age14]
  • 2002: Grand jury indicts Andrew Fastow, Enron CFO.
  • 2010: "The Walking Dead" premiers
  • This date was especially bad for airplanes. All of these crashes took place on this date: DC-10 crashes in Mexico City killing 74; American Eagle crash in Gary, Indiana kills 68; Fokker 100 crashes in Sao Paulo killing 98; Egypt Air flight crashes off Nantucket killing 217; chartered plane crashes in Angola killing 50; Russian plane crashes killing 224. 
  • Born: Jan Vermeer, John Keats, Juliette Gordon Lowe [Girl Scouts], Chiang Kai-shek, Ethel Waters, Dale Evans, Barbara Bel Geddes [Dallas]Anita Kerr, Michael Collins [astronaut, Apollo 11], Dan Rather, Michael Landon, Brian Piccolo [Brian's Song], Frank Shorter [marathon Gold], John Candy, Nick Saban, Vanilla Ice, 
  • Died: Harry Houdini, George Halas [Bears], Federico Fellini, River Phoenix, Theodore Sorenson [JFK advisor], Willie McCovey, Sean Connery, 
Thought:
Well, Jan and I are home after a visit to New Mexico for a couple of weeks. Returning to consider those places in my Bible that I have underlined or highlighted over the years. Today, I am reading 2 Kings 17:1-18. God has permitted Shalmaneser, king of Assyria to conquer the northern kingdom, Israel and Samaria. This occurred in 722 BC. The southern kingdom, Judah, would last until 605 BC when Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians began their conquest, taking Daniel and others into captivity. Beginning in verse 7, God explains why He, God, allowed the Assyrians to conquer Israel.
  • Sin [17:7]. God had freed the Israelites from captivity in Egypt and given them their Promised Land. And yet they sinned. Sounds like Larry. God saves, redeems, rescues, frees, provides, and blesses, yet I sin. And there are always consequences to sin. 
  • Feared other gods [17:7]. God had demanded their sole and complete worship, that He alone would be awed by them. But, they feared or worshipped other gods. Again, sounds like me. I fear rejection by men more than rejection by God. I fear loss of position, power, honor, praise---so I conform to this world. 
  • Walked in the customs of other kingdoms [17:8]. We have a king, His name is Jesus. When we were saved, we were transferred from citizen of this world to a citizen of His eternal kingdom. So we are to no longer walk like the kingdom of this world. As I write this, I hear in my mind the words of Messiah--the kingdoms of this world, have become, the kingdom of our God and of His Christ--and He shall reign forever and ever. I need to examine my walk--is it different from this world. Does it resemble His walk? 
  • Did things secretly that were not right [17:9]. Boy, now the preacher has gone to meddling. God sees my secret sins, things I thought only I knew about. Thoughts, words, actions, attitudes I can hide from others, even those close to me. But God knows my secret sins. And those sins separate me from full fellowship with him. 
  • Built high places and sacred pillars [17:9-10] Now most of us have not built a pagan altar in our house or set up a physical idol. But this verse causes me to think about those things I worship, give priority to. Maybe the house is the thing I worship, or my yard, or my car. Maybe my children have become that altar that I give everything to and sacrifice everything for. Or perhaps my job, my hobby, my favorite team. Look around a child's room--what do you find on the walls or shelves--things that they worship, they would cry if they lost them. Then I look around my room--what do I see? 
I'll finish this passage tomorrow. But today, Lord, help me tear down every thing that competes with You for my love, devotion, and worship. 

Blessings
Larry

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