Thought for June 17, 2023

 History: 

  • 1775: Battle of Bunker Hill
  • 1856: First Republican Convention
  • 1863: Traveler's Insurance founded
  • 1894: First polio epidemic--Rutland VT
  • 1947: Pan Am chartered
  • 1950: First kidney transplant
  • 1956: Founding of Thomas Road Baptist Church by Jerry Falwell
  • 1962: Jack Nicklaus wins his first major
  • 1963: Supreme Court rules against Bible reading/prayer in public schools
  • 1994: Great Ford Bronco chase--OJ Simpson
  • 2008: First same-sex marriage in California
  • 2015: 9 people shot in Emanuel AME Church in Charleston
  • Born: Igor Stravinsky, Ralph Bellamy, Crazy Legs Hirsch, Newt Gingrich, Barry Manilow, Greg Kinnear, Dan Jansen, Venus Williams
  • Died: Kate Smith, Rodney King, Gloria Vanderbilt, 
The Battle of Bunker Hill [Breed's Hill] made a significant impression on Abigail Adams and her young son, John Quincy. They watched the battle across the bay from Penn Hill. Leaving the scene , she made John Quincy promise to say the Lord's Prayer every morning before getting out of bed--he did for the rest of his life. The following day, Abigail wrote a letter to John Adams about the battle and its significance. In the letter she quotes Psalm 62: "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but the God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power to His people. Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us." 

Thought:
Reading the first 9 verses of Second Corinthians this morning. I have recently passed my 77th birthday. So I read these verses with absolute trust and assurance. What is Paul telling us:
  • I live in a tent. It is temporary quarters, not permanent abode. Think about a tent for a moment, even the most luxurious tent you have heard of or can imagine. It's still a tent. I may have electricity, plumbing, air conditioning--still a tent. It may be well furnished---still a tent. 
  • The tent is on earth. Sure, earth is probably a better place for a tent than Pluto, but it is still earth--a planet that will die when its sun dies. And yes, Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, may be good places to place the tent on earth [as opposed to Siberia, Sudan, Antartica]; but check out the traffic, the pollen, the politics.
  • My home is in heaven. I place where there is no death, no disease, no crying, no hunger, no thirst. The power will not fail, there will be no brown-outs. A place where there is love and peace and joy. And my residence there was designed by God, built by God, furnished by God and paid for by Jesus. 
  • Today, my wardrobe is not very special--it wears out,  goes out of style, doesn't fit. But when we put on the clothes that He supplies [5:3], they will be beautiful, glorious, unfading.
  • Our job is to be pleasing to God whether we are living in our tent or residing in our home in heaven [5:9]. 
Today, I want to make sure that my tent is prepared and holy for occupancy by Jesus while Jesus makes sure that my residence in heaven is ready for me. 

Blessings
Larry

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