Thought for July 31, 2023

  •  1912: U.S. bans movies and photos of prize fighting as immoral and violent. 
  • 1922: First water skis sued on a lake in Minnesota
  • 1938: Gold plates bearing the name of King Darius discovered
  • 1973: 89 die as plane hits seawall at Logan Airport 
  • Born: J.K. Rowling, Evonne Goolagong, O.B. Thrailkill
  • Died: Andrew Johnson, Franz Liszt, Charles Hires [rootbeer], Bill Russell
Thought:
Today I am reading Philippians 2:1-2. As I read these two verses, my mind focuses on the word "if." One of my favorite poems and one I have asked my grandson to read and reread is "If" by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling writes an "if"--"then" poem. If you are and can do certain things, then you will be a man my son. If you can:
    Keep your head when others are not keeping theirs
    Trust yourself when others doubt
    Wait patiently
    Be the target of lies without resorting to lying
    Be the target of hatred, but not respond with hate
    Dream and think, but not just be a dreamer or thinker 
    Win and lose with grace
    Start over when things go bad
    Take risks and not be changed by the results
    Endure
Then you will be a man, my son.

Here in Philippians, Paul gives an "if"-"then." But the one Paul posits contain "ifs" that are all facts.
If
    There is any encouragement in Christ
    There is any consolation of love
    If there is any fellowship of the Spirit
    If there is any affection and compassion
The answer to these "ifs" is YES there is. So if there is any encouragement in Christ--any hope that He gives. If His love consoles you [comforts you in times of grief or disappointment]. If the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life provides fellowship with God and Jesus. If you are the recipient of Christ's love and compassion. What difference should this make in my life?

Paul is asking the church at Philippi to be united with him as He is united with Christ. But this morning, God is saying to me, Larry, if you are the recipient of these blessings in Christ--hope, love, comfort, compassion, love, adoption--then live in unity with your brothers and sisters. And the Lord reminds me to stop for just a moment and think about the if/then of my life. If you are in Christ and He is in you, how should you then live? Yesterday's sermon was on the two great commandments--love God and love your neighbor. If I have received these blessings from Jesus, my worthy response is loving God and loving others. 

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