Thought for November 14, 2023

•  1666: Samuel Pepys reports on the first blood transfusion--between dogs
• 1732: First professional librarian hired in Philadelphia
• 1792: George Vancouver is first Englishman to enter San Francisco Bay
• 1851: "Moby Dick" published by Herman Melville--one of my favorite books
• 1889: Nellie Bly begins her attempt to travel around the worl in under 80 days--makes it in 72 days, 6 hours.
• 1896: Niagara Falls power plant begins operation
• 1908: Albert Einstein presents quantum theory of light
• 1910: First airplane take-off from a ship
• 1935: Nazi's take citizenship from Jews in Germany
• 1946: God provides a wife for Larry Thrailkill--Janice Lynn Cox is born in Atlanta
• 1968: Yale announces it will become co-educational
• Born: Robert Fulton, Henri Dutrochet [discovered and named the process of osmosis], Claude Monet [Haystacks and Water Lilies], Leo Baekeland [bakelite plastic], Nehru, Mamie Eisenhower, Joe McCarthy, King Charles of England, Condoleezza Rice
• Died: Charles Carroll [last of the signers of the Declaration of Independence to die, 1832], Booker T Washington

Thought:

Yesterday I was reading 1 John 5:1-3--show that you love God by loving His children. Loving God means I obey His commandments. I concluded with a plea for the Lord to help us. Today 1 John 5:4-5. Keeping the commandments of God requires overcoming the world. The world and the things of the world do not lead us to obedience. Our drift is not to righteousness. Our human nature is rebellious. Keeping God's commands means overcoming the flesh, the thoughts of the flesh, the attitude of the flesh. Observing the commandments of God means winning the battle with the world. 

How do I overcome the world? Faith--really simple, right. We sing that old hymn, "Faith is the Victory that Overcomes the World." The words to that hymn were written in 1891 by John Yates. Yates was a shoe salesman in New York who became pastor of West Bethany Freewill Baptist Church. Ira Sankey, song leader for Dwight Moody, put several of Yates poems to music. Think about the words to the hymn--"Christian soldiers rise and press the battle"; "His banner over us is love, our sword the Word of God"; "to him who overcomes the foe, white raiment shall be given, before the angels he shall know his name confessed in heaven"; "we'll vanquish all the hosts of night in Jesus' conquering name"; "Faith is the victory that overcomes the world."

Now consider what John says about faith--who overcomes the world? Not us, but Jesus. We conquer by believing that Jesus is the one who overcame sin, death and the grave. And it is Christ in us that now overcomes the world. So Paul is right, Christ is us, our hope of glory. Through Christ we conquer temptation, doubt, fear--we overcome. We overcome by knowing the end of the story and living like we believe it. We overcome by believing the promises of God, not the things we see, hear, read. In my Bible [NASB], when I turn from page 1284 [1 John 5] to page 1293 [Revelation 2], I read about overcomers:

• Overcomers eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God. Rev. 2:7
• Overcomers are not hurt by the second death. Rev. 2:11
• Overcomers receive hidden manna, a white stone and a new name. Rev. 2:17
• Overcomers receive authority over the nations and the morning star. Rev. 2:26-28
• Overcomers receive white garments, their name in the book of life and Jesus will confess us before the Father. Rev. 3:5
• Ovecomers will be a pillar in the house of God and Jesus will write on them the name of God, the name of the city of God, and Jesus' new name. Rev. 3:12
• Overcomers will sit on the throne with Jesus. Rev. 3:21

Lord, help me be an overcomer today! Increase my faith!

Blessings

Larry