Thought for July 17, 2023

  •  1861: Congress authorizes paper money
  • 1853: Frances Havergal confirmed at Worcester Cathedral. Later, sitting before a painting of Christ on the cross ["Ecco Homo", behold the man] she wrote the words to "I Gave My Life for Thee."
  • Born: James Cagney, Pjyllis Diller, John Jacob Astor, Angela Merkel, David Hasselhoff
  • Died: Billie Holiday, Ty Cobb
Thought: 
Reading the end of Ephesians 2 this morning. Paul is writing to the Gentiles who have proclaimed Christ. What he says to them applies to me and commands thanksgiving and praises. 

  • Before Christ: 
    • I was separated from God [2:12]
    • I was excluded from God's people [2:12]
    • I was a stranger to God's covenant promises [2:12]
    • I had no hope [2:12]
    • I was without God [2:12]
  • In Christ:
    • I, who was separated, have been brought near to God. [2:13]
    • I, who was at war with God, have peace with God [2:14]
    • I, who was walled off from God by my sin, now have access to God [2:14, 18]
    • I, who was an alien and stranger, am now a citizen of His kingdom [2:19]
    • And Christ is uniting all of His family into a holy temple--a dwelling place of the Spirit of God. [2:21]
Meditate on these truths for a moment. A friend of mine, Jewish by birth and recently converted, told me that he did not understand anything about God. Then one day, a stranger invited him to church. When he walked in, all of a sudden he felt the presence of God and the love of God--then he understood who God was and wanted to be part of God's family. Now, think about those you might meet today. If they do not know Jesus, they are in the "before Christ" category--separated, excluded, stranger, no hope, without God. And Jesus has appointed us as His ambassadors to introduce people to Him so that they are brought near, find peace, have access, become citizens of His eternal kingdom. 

This morning I am overwhelmed with gratitude and convicted of my failure to do more to lead people to the Lord. Lord, give us opportunities, give us courage, give us boldness. We want to be part of building your kingdom. 

Blessings
Larry

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