Thought for September 1, 2023

  • 1803: Massachusetts Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge formed--first tract society in North America
  • 1859: First observation of a solar flare
  • 1878: First female telephone operator begins work
  • 1914: Last passenger pigeon dies at the Cincinnati Zoo
  • 1939: Hitler orders extermination of mentally ill
  • 1941: Jews in Germany required to wear yellow star of David
  • 1945: VJ Day [September 2 in Japan]
  • 1954: "Rear Window" released
  • 1957: Billy Graham NY Crusade ends after 16 weeks and 2 million people
  • 1964: Willie Totten throws for 536 yards for Mississippi Valley State, 294 of which are to Jerry Rice, 
  • 2006: Roger Goddell becomes NFL Commissioner
  • Born: Johann Pachelbel, Barry Gibb, Gloria Estefan, Conway Twitty, Dr. Phil
  • Died: Albert Speer, William Clark, Louis XIV, Jacques Cartier, Lewis Jones ["Power in the Blood"]
Thought:
In 2 Timothy 4:5 we read that Paul urged Timothy to fulfill, complete his ministry. Verse 6-8 are familiar. Paul tells Timothy that he has finished his race, the end is near. He will complete his ministry. Here is what I saw this morning:
  •  Our lives are an offering to the Lord. Paul says he is already being poured out. As we die to self and allow Christ to live in us, we pour out our lives as an offering of love and gratitude to the One who saved, redeemed, sustained, transformed and reconciled us. Recall Romans 12:1-2--Paul wrote that we present our bodies as living sacrifices/offering which is spiritual worship. So this morning I am asking is my life an offering to God--will the aroma please or repel Him. 
  • We are in and will be in a fight. Life in the Lord is not easy for we have joined His army and have engaged in the battle. We carry His cross as the standard and we will not let it drop or fall. The good news is that He leads forth His army--He is not a general who sits safely at headquarters while the troops battle--He leads in battle and He has already defeated the enemy. And what an army to be part of--He provides everything--our armor, our water, our bread, our plans, our strength, our wisdom, our strategy, our weapon---He is all sufficient. And our weapons are divinely designed to defeat the enemy.
  • We must finish. Hebrews 12 says we run with endurance the race set before us. Each of us has been given a race to run--God has laid out the course. In cross country running, every course is slightly or sometimes dramatically different. Some are on level ground, some have hills. some are through the forest, others are in the meadow. Some are in the country and others in the city. Each race is different, just like the course of each of our lives is different. I cannot run your race [parents, we cannot run our children's races]. You cannot run mine. For Christians, every race course ends at the same finish line--Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Paul tells Timothy the crown awaits at the finish line. 
  • To finish the race requires us to hold on to the faith. Keep the faith. Live the faith. Trust the faith. And we sing, Lord, haste the day when faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back like a scroll. The One who set the course is faithful. Hold on to the Faithful One.
Blessings
Larry

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