Thought for March 31

 History:

  • 1492: Jews expelled from Castile and Argon
  • 1736: Bellevue Hospital founded [1st public hospital in the US]
  • 1745: Jews expelled from Prague
  • 1889: Eiffel Tower opens
  • 1906: Intercollegiate Athletic Association founded [NCAA in 1910]
  • 1918: First daylight savings time in US
  • 1931: Knute Rockne killed in plane crash
  • 1932: Ford unveils V-8 engine
  • 1943: "Oklahoma" by Rogers and Hammerstein premiers
  • 1944: Hungary requires Jews to wear yellow stars
  • 1953: Department of Health, Education and Welfare established
  • 1975: UCLA wins 10th championship under John Wooden
  • 1980: Carter deregulates banking--bad idea
  • 1988: Toni Morrison wins Pulitzer for "Beloved"
  • Born: Rene Descartes ["I think therefore I am"], JS Bach [signed his works SDG, Soli Deo Gloria, to the glory of God alone. If you look down on the roof of the Washington Monument you would see the words "Laus Deo,"  to God be the glory. These same words are written over the door of Thrailkill Hall at Belmont], Franz Haydn, Arthur Griffith [found Sinn Fein], Jack Johnson [first black heavyweight champion], Tommy Bolt, Cesar Chavez, Gordie Howe, Liz Claiborne, Shirley Jones, Richard Chamberlain, Herb Alpert, Gabe Kaplan, Al Gore, Ewan McGregor
  • Died: John Donne, Isaac Newton, John C Calhoun, Charlotte Bronte, JP Morgan, Jesse Owens, Terri Shiavo [right to die case]
Thought:
Stopped again today by Mark 8:29--"Who do you say that I am?" Isn't this the real question of life? Who do I say Jesus is? Do I agree with who He says He is? He says that He, and He alone, is Creator, Master, Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, Lamb of God, Alpha and Omega, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the only Door to God, the Way, the Truth, the Light of the world. He says He is God incarnate. He says He is coming again as the Lion of Judah, Judge, King of kings and Lord of lords. And because He says it--it is true! 

Now it's my turn, who do I say that Jesus is? Prophet, teacher, amazing miracle worker. No, I must agree with His claims if I want to be in His kingdom. And then notice, after Peter says, "Thou art the Christ." Jesus tells them that simply saying that is not enough--look at 8:34-38:
  • I must deny myself. I put aside my wants, desires, plans and do what He wants, desires and plans.
  • I must take up my cross. That is I continually have to crucify the things of the flesh along with its desires---greed, jealousy, pride, anger, lust, envy, slander. This is a daily and continual requirement.
  • I must follow Him. Walk as He walked, talk as He talked, love as He loved, forgive as He forgives.
  • I must lose my life in His life. And there I will find real life.
  • I must not be ashamed of the gospel. 8:38 tells me Jesus knows we live in a adulterous and sinful generation so to walk like Him will make us different. We will be questioned, slandered, taunted. But we cannot be ashamed of who we are in Him. Paul tells the Ephesians that our job is to put on the whole armor of God and then to stand firm. 
Lord, today help me to live like I truly believe that You are who You say You are.

Blessings
Larry

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought for July 19

History: 1553: Lady Jane Gray deposed after 9 days 1692: 5 people hung during Salem Witch Trials 1848: First women's rights convention -Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Wesleyan Chapel at Seneca Falls NY 1910: Cy Young wins his 500th game 1941: US Army flying school at Tuskegee AL dedicated 1945: USS Cod saves 51 sailors from Dutch sub--only sub-to-sub rescue 1957: Firing of first rocket with nuclear warhead-Nevada 1984: Geraldine Ferraro is first major party female VP candidate 1996: Olympics open in Atlanta 2007: Madmen debuts 2018: Duck Boat sinks in Table Rock Lake killing 17 Born: Samuel Colt, Edgar Degas [painter], Lizzie Borden, Charles Mayo [Mayo Clinic], George McGovern, Al Haig, George Hamilton IV, Vikki Carr, Ilie Nastase, Stuart Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch,  Died: Syngman Rhee [President South Korea], Clyde Beatty [circus animal trainer], Mary Jo Kopechne [passenger with Ted Kennedy], Jack Warden, Frank McCourt [Angela's Ashes], James Garner, Garry Marshall
Read more

Thought for November 23, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving!  1664: Blaise Pascal is converted following a vision. He wrote the date and time of his conversion and said, "Fire. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. Not of philosophers and intellectuals. Certitude, certitude, joy, peace. The God of Jesus Christ." Laid the foundation for the law of probabilities; genius in hydrodynamics and hydrostatics developing Pascal's principle of pressure; taught the experience of God through the heart rather than reason; mathematician and philosopher. 1783: Annapolis Maryland becomes U.S. Capitol until June 1784 1863: Patent for making color photographs granted 1889: First jukebox debuts in Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco 1897: Pencil sharpener patented 1904: Summer Olympics in St. Louis close [1st Olymics in U.S.] 1921: President Harding signs an Act prohibiting doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medicinal purposes 1923: Cecil B. DeMille's first "The Ten Commandments" premiers
Read more

Thought for April 5, 2024

1722: Easter Island discovered 1792: First Presidential veto 1815: Mt. Tambora erupts. Largest eruption ever witnessed. Created year without summer in 1816--frost and snow in North America in June and July. Largest part of eruption on April 10th. Killed 10,000 in initial blast.  1906: Mt. Vesuvius erupts killing 100 1923: Firestone begins producing inflatable tires 1936: Tupelo almost completely destroyed by a tornado--216 die 1972: Baseball strike costs 86 games 2063: On "Star Trek", earth has its first contact with the Vulcan species Born: Thomas Hobbes, Joseph Lister, Booker T Washington, Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Arthur Hailey. Gale Storm, Frank Gorshin, Colin Powell, Pharrell Williams Died: Robert Raikes [Sunday School], Douglas MacArthur, Howard Hughes, Abe Fortas, Sam Walton, Allen Ginsberg, Saul Bellow, Charlton Heston, Honor Blackman Thought: Reading Daniel 1:5-7 this morning. Continuing with the thoughts about Nebuchadnezzar's plan. Having brough
Read more