Thought for June 28, 2023

 1838: Queen Victoria crowned

1919: Treaty of Versailles signed

1951: "Amos 'n' Andy" premiers on TV

1971: Supreme Court holds state underwriting of nonreligious instruction in parochial schools unconstitutional

Born: Henry VIII, John Wesley, Mel Brooks, Elon Musk, John Elway, Peter Paul Reubens, Eliza Hewitt [wrote "Will There Be Any Stars?", "More About Jesus I Would Know," "When We All Get to Heaven," "Sunshine in the Soul"]

Died: James Madison

On this day in 1810, a letter was written that began the American missionary movement with the founding of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions--Adoniram and Ann Judson and Luther Rice went to Asia in 1812. Who wrote the letter? The boys of the Haystack Prayer meeting. Samuel Mills and his friends were students at Williams College. During a prayer meeting in the trees near the college, a storm arose. The boys gathered in a haystack where they prayed for nations by name to receive the gospel. Later, they attended Andover Seminary where they wrote the letter saying they wanted to take the gospel to the nations and asking their Congregational leaders for advice, direction and prayer. The response was the formation of the Board. 

Thought:

The last two days I have been reading the first 10 verses of 2 Corinthians 6--do not receive God's grace in vain--rather use it as a faithful ambassador of Christ in every circumstance. In chapter 8, we get an example of what this looks like. Paul was taking a collection for the saints in Jerusalem who were under persecution. He had asked the Corinthians to participate, but had not received their gift even though they were one of the wealthier churches in the world. So Paul reminds them of the offering taken by the Macedonians. Read these first 5 verses and see what receiving God's grace the right way means:

• The people first gave themselves to the Lord. [8:5] I am starting at the beginning although it is at the end. The first step in receiving the grace of God is to give yourself to God. Once this is done, everything else comes easier. When I find my self out of fellowship with the Lord this is my starting place--have I died to self and given myself totally to the Lord or is there something I am trying to hold back. So my starting place everyday should be Lord, I am all Yours--my thoughts, my words, my attitude, my time, my resources, my family. It is all Yours. How would You like to use it today for Your glory? 
• Now, their condition [sounds like 6:4-10]. Great ordeal of affliction. Deep poverty. Now aren't those exactly the people you think of when fundraising? Let's put together a list of those that are hurting the most and poorest and start our fund drive there. Just demonstrates how differently God works. Most of us do not feel like we are in a great ordeal of affliction--some do and are. But most of us are not. But we know someone. Most of us are not in deep poverty, some are, but most are not. Compared to most of the world, we are among the most wealthy--a place to live, food every day, medical care when needed, utilities that work. 
• Their response: Abundant joy. Liberal giving beyond their means. Begging to participate. WOW! This is certainly how I react when I am suffering and poor. But they had first given themselves to Christ--so their joy was full and complete; they wanted to be part of His work and love for the saints was part of that; and giving  what was His was an act of faith. 

And just like in chapter 6, these people became ambassadors for Christ, not just to the church at Jerusalem, but to the church at Corinth [to inspire and challenge] and to us and all the saints through the ages. Today Lord, it is all Yours--how would you have me use it for Your glory?

Blessings

Larry