Thought for November 23, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving!

•  1664: Blaise Pascal is converted following a vision. He wrote the date and time of his conversion and said, "Fire. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. Not of philosophers and intellectuals. Certitude, certitude, joy, peace. The God of Jesus Christ." Laid the foundation for the law of probabilities; genius in hydrodynamics and hydrostatics developing Pascal's principle of pressure; taught the experience of God through the heart rather than reason; mathematician and philosopher.
• 1783: Annapolis Maryland becomes U.S. Capitol until June 1784
• 1863: Patent for making color photographs granted
• 1889: First jukebox debuts in Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco
• 1897: Pencil sharpener patented
• 1904: Summer Olympics in St. Louis close [1st Olymics in U.S.]
• 1921: President Harding signs an Act prohibiting doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medicinal purposes
• 1923: Cecil B. DeMille's first "The Ten Commandments" premiers
• 1936: First Issue of Life Magazine
• 1939: Polish Jews required to wear Blue Star of David
• 2009: Susan Boyle releases her first album, "I Had A Dream"
• Born: Franklin Pierce, Billy the Kid, Boris Karloff, Harpo Marx, Hal Lindsey, Charles Schumer, Miley Cyrus
• Died: Walter Reed, Reverend Grady Nutt, Raold Dahl, Roy Acuff, Larry Hagman, 

Thought:

Reading the letter to Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7 today. Ephesus was the largest and most important city in Asia and had been for 1000 years. With a harbor for large ships and the terminus of many Roman roads, it was a key trading city. It had th largest outdoor theater in the world and the famous Temple of Diana/Artemis. You recall Paul's encounter with the silversmiths who were making idols to Artemis in Acts 19. Paul preached here 2-3 years after founding the church. This was where John was the leader of the church and probably wrote his gospel and letters here. With his connection with the city, I wonder how John felt about what he was directed to write?

The letter is from the One who walks among the churches. He has much praise for the church at Ephesus:

• He knows that work hard, even toil for the gospel.
• He knows that they have endured under pressure.
• He knows they have not grown weary--boy, this hits me today. 
• He knows they identified false apostles and evil men and do not harbor them.
• He knows they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans. There are several theories about these people. Irenaeus says they were gnostics who taught that Jesus’ divinity began at baptism and left before the cross, since gods cannot die. They were immoral because they taught that once saved your physical conduct did not matter. 
• BUT, they had left their first love. He urges them to remember how far they have fallen from their initial passion and love for the Lord--perhaps they had gotten comfortable with the ritual and worship, but lost their fire. He invites them to repent and return to Him. Makes me check out my life today. Am I doing good things, but without the passion of that first love? 

Notice the promises in these letters are to overcomers. Here those that overcome eat from the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God. The scripture talks about overcoming in other places:

• 1 John 5:4-5 tells us that those born of God overcome the world and that victory is by faith.
• 1 John 4:4 tells us that we overcome because greater is He in us than he who is in the world.
• Romans 8:37 says we are more than conquerors in Christ.
• Revelation 12:11 tells us we overcome because of the blood of the Lamb.

Now think about the promise to us--we have Christ, faith overcomes the world and its temptations and trials, as overcomers we have eternal life--eating from the Tree of Life. That's good news. In fact, the good news should increase the fire, bring me back to my first love. Lord, help me love You with full, complete, and passionate love.  

Blessings

Larry