Thought for November 12

 History:

  • 1555: Catholicism re-established as national religion in England
  • 1880: Lew Wallace publishes "Ben-Hur"
  • 1890: First edition of poems by Emily Dickinson
  • 1927: Notre Dame swaps blue jerseys for green
  • 1933: First NFL game on Sunday [previously illegal]
  • 1942: Battle of Guadalcanal begins
  • 1946: First drive-up teller windows open--Chicago
  • 1946: "Song of the South" released
  • 1969: Army announces investigation of William Calley
  • 1990: World Wide Web first proposed
  • 2001: American Flight 587 crashes after takeoff from Kennedy killing 265
  • 2015: Barack Obama named "Ally of the Year" by Out magazine
  • 2019: Disney launches Disney+ streaming service
  • 2019: It is revealed that Houston Astros stole signs using cameras
  • Born: Jeanne Mance [founded 1st hospital in North America], Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Auguste Rodin, Sun Yat-sen, Harry Blackmun, Joseph Coors, Kim Hunter [Planet of the Apes], Grace Kelly, Charles Manson, Al Michaels, Neil Young, Megan Mullally, Sammy Sosa, Ryan Gosling, Anne Hathaway, Russell Westbrook, 
  • Died: Percival Lowell [predicted Pluto, Lovell Observatory], William Holden, Eve Arden, Wilma Rudolph, Stan Lee, 
Thought:

Reading in Ezra again this morning. Today focused on an underlined portion of 9:8. The people have intermarried with foreigners, those who worship other gods and commit things abominable to the Lord. And Ezra prays. Read 9:5-15 and consider what Ezra says:
  • I am ashamed and embarrassed [9:6]. Boy, here is a verse I understand. When I think about all Jesus has done for me and then consider how badly I fail Him, I join with Ezra in saying, I am ashamed and embarrassed. Some of you have heard me talk about a letter I wrote to my parents while I was in college. I had done something I knew was wrong, something I was ashamed of and I thought my parents knew about it [They didn't]. I was in my dorm room at Georgia and wrote a letter apologizing to them on a Sunday night. I took the letter to the downtown post office in Athens and put it in the box. Immediately, I wanted the letter back. I read the sign about it being a felony to tamper with the box, but seriously considered taking a chance to get the letter back. On Tuesday or Wednesday, the phone in the dorm rang [the pay phone on the wall in the lounge] and someone called down the hall to me. It was my Dad. I was terrified. I can hear his voice this morning--Son [that's what he always called me], are you all right? Yes sir I am. Your mother and I love you and just wanted to make sure you were okay. I am. We will see you in a couple of weeks when you come home. OK Dad, thanks. No question about the letter and it has never been mentioned to me. That conversation taught me more about Jesus than any sermon---I confessed, I repented---They forgave and never mentioned it again--as far as east is from west it was gone forever. 
  • Grace has been shown to us. [9:9] Wow! We are ashamed and repent, and God's response is grace. Amazing Grace. God did not abandon them and never abandons us. And so much more, He loves us, restores us and rebuilds us. What a Savior.
Today, Lord forgive us for we are ashamed, refresh us, forgive us, restore us, rebuild us--not for our sake but for Your glory. 

Blessings
Larry

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