Thought for October 16, 2023

•  1847: Charlotte Bronte publishes "Jane Eyre"
• 1859: John Brown leads a raid on the arsenal at Harper's Ferry
• 1875: BYU founded in Provo Utah
• 1913: George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion" premiers
• 1916: Margaret Sanger opens the first birth control clinic
• 1923: Disney Brothers cartoon studio formed
• 1946: 10 Nazi leaders are hung at Nuremberg
• 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis begins
• 1968: John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised the Black Power salute on the podium in Mexico City
• 1984: Desmond Tutu wins Nobel Prize
• 2016: Ed Whitlock becomes the oldest person to complete a marathon in under 4 hours [age 85]
• Born: Noah Webster, Oscar Wilde, David Ben-Gurion, Eugene O'Neill, Angela Lansbury, Charles Colson, Suzanne Sommers, Jim Ed Norman, Sue Bird, Naomi Osaka, 
• Died: Marie Antoinette, George Marshall, Gene Krupa, Moshe Dayan, Shirley Booth, James Michener, Deborah Kerr, Barbara Billingsley [Leave it to Beaver]

Thought:

Reading the first five verses of First Peter this morning where I have underlined several words. These words remind me of the great incomprehensible blessing that we have in Christ.:

• Chosen [1:1]. This word always makes me think of my childhood. In class, the teacher would say she wanted someone to do something special and every hand would go up--"choose me." We would audition for a play and you would be devastated if not chosen. Tryouts for the basketball team--I want to be chosen. Then it was the proms, the dates. Then, she said "yes"--she chose me. What memories--some good some not so good. But now think, the God of all creation, the Alpha and Omega, the Lord of Hosts has picked you--chosen. This thought alone makes us valuable--gives us all the worth we ever need, for He chose us. But also notice that we were aliens--other places we are called enemies--in Christ those who were far off have been drawn near. We could stop here and spend the morning just praising God that He chose us. 
• Sanctified [1:2]. Or here sanctifying work of the Spirit. Think about that. Jesus chose us where we were, then begins sanctifying us through the power of the Spirit, transforming us, and conforming us to His image. That work is in progress.
• Sprinkled [1:2]. Covered by the atoning blood of Jesus. The word for sprinkled is used on three occasions in the Old Testament--the giving of the covenant to Moses, the cleansing of the rituals described in Leviticus and the setting apart of Joshua for service. Most of the time when I think about the blood of Christ, I am thinking about it covering my sins and cleansing me from all unrighteousness. But here is a reminder that it also sets me apart for His service and seals my covenant with Him.
• Born again [1:3]. Nicodemus heard about this directly from Jesus in John 3. Think about the blessing of a fresh start, a do over, a mulligan. In Christ we start anew and afresh. He makes all things new. The Lord of second chances steps out of eternity, into time and through His mercy we are born again. 
• Living hope [1:3]. When we are born again, we are transformed from a hopeless life leading to death, to a blessed and living hope leading to life eternal. A hope that will never disappoint. That promised hope motivates us to endure and press on.
• Imperishable inheritance [1:4]. Think about the inheritance you received or the one you will leave behind--perishable, defiled by sin, corrupted. But in Christ we have an inheritance that is imperishable, eternal, glorious---and it is reserved especially for you--guaranteed by the blood, sealed by the Spirit.
• Protected [1:5]. While we await our inheritance, we are protected by the power of God. Absolutely secure--He never loses one of His sheep. No one can take you from His hand. 
• Waiting to be revealed [1:5]. Some of these blessings may be hard to see in the present--but one day the truth will be revealed--chosen, sanctified, atoned for, born anew--when He comes we will be revealed with Him in glory. 

Today, think about how blessed we are in Christ--then praise and thank Him--serve Him--proclaim Him in word and deed.

Blessings

Larry