Thought for September 7, 2023

•  70: Roman army under Titus occupies and plunders Jerusalem
• 1813: First use of "Uncle Sam"
• 1876: Great Northfield Minnesota Raid by Frank James and the Younger brothers
• 1888: Edith McLean is the first infant placed in an incubator
• 1916: Workmen's Compensation Act passed by Congress
• 1921: First Miss America Pageant
• 1923: Interpol is founded
• 1936: Hoover Dam begins operation
• 1940: First of 57 consecutive nights of bombing in London
• 1986: Desmond Tutu becomes Archbishop of Cape Town
• Born: Elizabeth I, Grandma Moses, Elia Kazan, Peter Lawford, Buddy Holly, 
• Died: Don Haskins [coach of Texas El Paso basketball team that won national championship]

Thought:

Reading Titus 3:1-7 today, most of which is underlined in my Bible. Paul gives the before Christ and after Christ picture of our lives and reminds us of how the after Christ person needs to live. 

• Before Christ [3:3]. We fooled ourselves into believing we were OK, good enough, better than most. But we were disobedient to His word, deceived by Satan and enslaved to our fleshly desires. This led us to envy others, covet what others had, maliciously act toward others leading to hate rather than love. Comparison led to discontent and discontent led to jealousy and envy. They led to putting others down to raise myself up, to stealing and lying, to slander and libel--ultimately to wishing others dead or destroyed. 
• BUT [3:4-7] God in His love and mercy and grace sent Jesus to save us. When Christ in His love sent the Holy Spirit to guide us, teach us, remind us, we became heirs with Christ. 
• So now Paul reminds those at Crete how they should live-- [3:1-2]
• Be obedient to the commands of Christ so that you receive the promises of Christ. I really need to remember this. I want the promises without the obedience. 
• Be ready--watch for every opportunity--to do a good deed. 
• Don't malign anyone--put them down to raise yourself up. Mom used to say "if you don't have something good to say, don't say anything at all."
• Be gentle and considerate. This is easy to do when I "like" someone." The challenge for me is to be gentle and considerate. Patient and kind to those that I may not like so well. Here, the love of Christ compels me to act like Jesus. 

Recall the first chapter of Titus and particularly 1:16--do your deeds confirm your profession of Christ or are your deeds inconsistent with that confession. That's how Paul ends the letter. We claim to be in Christ and He in us--can others tell by what we do and say? 

Blessings

Larry