Thought for August 22, 2023

• 1849: First air raid--Austria uses balloons against Venice
• 1864: First Geneva Convention signed by 12 nations. U.S. was not a signatory
• 1775: George III declares that the colonies are in open rebellion
• 1901: Cadillac Motors formed
• 1902: Teddy Roosevelt is first sitting president to ride in an automobile
• 1945: Viet Nam conflict begins as Ho Chi Minh leads a coup
• 1959: American Football League founded with Dallas, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York.
• 1966: The Beatles arrive in New York
• Born: Claude Debussy, Dorothy Parker, John Lee Hooker, Honor Blackman, Norman Schwarzkopf, Carl Yastrzemski, Bill Parcells
• Died: Huey Newton, Richard III, William Mackay ["Revive Us Again"]

William McKay was the son of a pious mother who prayed for him and gave him a Bible with many passages underlined in hopes he would read and accept Jesus as his Savior. He sold the Bible for money to support his alcohol habit. Despite his drinking , he became a doctor. A laborer was brought into the hospital with fatal injuries. The man asked to see his landlady who he owed some rent and for a book from his room. Within days, the man died. The book in the man's hands was the very Bible McKay's mother had given him when he left for college. He went to his office, read the passages his mother had underlined, gave up medicine and became a preacher. Amazing grace, a mother's prayers, a Book sold for a small price for a bad purpose, a poor laborer who found comfort, and 40 years later a life transformed. Revive us again!

Thought:

I have bracketed 1 Timothy 1:6-8 in my Bible. I return to these verses periodically. I try and teach what the Lord shows to me, but I worry that verse 7 applies to me---do I really understand what I am saying and about which I make confident assertions. I have said that my motto is "often wrong, never in doubt." So, I wonder if this verse applies to me and the Lord brings me back to it regularly. He asks, "do you really understand what you are saying?" Do you grasp the meaning of the scripture, the heart of the Author, the purpose of the writer, the application to your life? So I commend these verses to you--do you really understand what you confidently claim? We talk about the love of God--but really can I comprehend that love--grab hold of it. We talk about the grace of God, but do I really get it? I come back to these verses seeking to know the Lord's heart. 

What was the problem that caused Paul to write these words to Timothy? Read 1:3-7. Certain men were teaching strange doctrines, myths and genealogies. Maybe they were majoring on the minors; maybe they thought non-Biblical truth could help understand; maybe they were adding to the Word or leaving out some portions. Sounds like today--"pastors" and "teachers" coming up with theories and conjecture--or as Paul would say, speculations. When I leave the word and begin to extrapolate and interpret, I need to be careful. 

Now take a look at 1:12-17. Paul traces his own salvation experience. He was a blasphemer and persecutor of the church, but God showed MERCY. The Mercy came with abundant GRACE--amazing Grace. And by GRACE he was saved through FAITH--discovering for himself the LOVE that is Christ Jesus. Isn't that my story and probably yours? Then Paul makes a statement that we can all claim--Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am the foremost of all. And we should respond like Paul does in 1:17--To the KING--the eternal, immortal and invisible GOD---the only true and living God---To Him be honor and glory forever. Amen.

Blessings

Larry