Thought for July 19, 2024

  • 1692: Five people hanged for witchcraft in Salem 
  • 1848: First US Women's Right's Convention
  • 1877: First Wimbledon Tennis Championship--Men only
  • 1941: Churchill launches "V" for victory campaign
  • 1984: Geraldine Ferraro becomes first female vice presidential candidate
  • 1989: United DC 10 crashes in Sioux City Iowa killing 112
  • 2007: "Mad Men" debuts
  • Born: Samuel Colt, Edgar Degas, Lizzie Borden, Charles Mayo [Mayo Clinic], George McGovern, Vikki Carr, Ilie Nastase, Anthony Edwards, Benedict Cumberbatch, 
  • Died: Syngman Rhee, Clyde Beatty, Mary Jo Kopechne, Jack Warden, Frank McCourt, James Garner, Garry Marshall, 
Thought:
Reading the story of the leper in Mark 1:40-45 this morning. Take a look back at Mark chapter 1. In this chapter, Mark has told us about John the Baptist, Jesus' baptism, calling disciples, teaching and miracles [casting out demons, healing sicknesses], taking time alone to pray.  Mark covers a lot of territory in one chapter. 

This morning I am focused on 1:40, a verse that is very familiar. The leper comes to Jesus and says, "if you are willing,  you can make me clean." And Jesus responds, "I am willing." We all know the plight of the leper. Incurable disease. No human contact except for other lepers. Required to proclaim their uncleanliness to anyone approaching. No hope, no cure, no future.

Somehow this leper knew that Jesus had the power to cleanse him. He came saying, I know you can cleanse me. The question is not Jesus' power, His ability, His authority. The question is will He? Now, I do not know why Jesus chooses some to heal in this life and others to heal only in heaven. I don't know why some prayers seem to be answered while others are not. But I trust Jesus--I trust His love, His grace, His mercy, His plan and His timing. I know that He is always working for my eternal good and His glory. 

What I think God is trying to tell me in this story is that Jesus has all power and all authority. He has a plan that is perfect. I may not understand the plan or the timing, but I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep every promise He ever made and will keep every promise--for all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ. 

What I am thinking about this morning is cleansing. In the Bible, other diseases and illnesses are cured/healed--leprosy is always cleansed. As I think about it, we are all lepers--incurable disease, no hope, no future, unclean, unholy. But in Christ, we are cleansed because He who knew no sin became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God. This story makes 1 John 1:9 come alive--if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Our sins need cleansing just like the lepers spots. Lord, this morning, examine me closely, check me for any signs of leprosy, any sin that I am hiding or ignoring--I know that if I confess, You are willing. 

Blessings
Larry

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought for July 19

History: 1553: Lady Jane Gray deposed after 9 days 1692: 5 people hung during Salem Witch Trials 1848: First women's rights convention -Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Wesleyan Chapel at Seneca Falls NY 1910: Cy Young wins his 500th game 1941: US Army flying school at Tuskegee AL dedicated 1945: USS Cod saves 51 sailors from Dutch sub--only sub-to-sub rescue 1957: Firing of first rocket with nuclear warhead-Nevada 1984: Geraldine Ferraro is first major party female VP candidate 1996: Olympics open in Atlanta 2007: Madmen debuts 2018: Duck Boat sinks in Table Rock Lake killing 17 Born: Samuel Colt, Edgar Degas [painter], Lizzie Borden, Charles Mayo [Mayo Clinic], George McGovern, Al Haig, George Hamilton IV, Vikki Carr, Ilie Nastase, Stuart Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch,  Died: Syngman Rhee [President South Korea], Clyde Beatty [circus animal trainer], Mary Jo Kopechne [passenger with Ted Kennedy], Jack Warden, Frank McCourt [Angela's Ashes], James Garner, Garry Marshall
Read more

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
Read more

Thought for April 5, 2024

1722: Easter Island discovered 1792: First Presidential veto 1815: Mt. Tambora erupts. Largest eruption ever witnessed. Created year without summer in 1816--frost and snow in North America in June and July. Largest part of eruption on April 10th. Killed 10,000 in initial blast.  1906: Mt. Vesuvius erupts killing 100 1923: Firestone begins producing inflatable tires 1936: Tupelo almost completely destroyed by a tornado--216 die 1972: Baseball strike costs 86 games 2063: On "Star Trek", earth has its first contact with the Vulcan species Born: Thomas Hobbes, Joseph Lister, Booker T Washington, Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Arthur Hailey. Gale Storm, Frank Gorshin, Colin Powell, Pharrell Williams Died: Robert Raikes [Sunday School], Douglas MacArthur, Howard Hughes, Abe Fortas, Sam Walton, Allen Ginsberg, Saul Bellow, Charlton Heston, Honor Blackman Thought: Reading Daniel 1:5-7 this morning. Continuing with the thoughts about Nebuchadnezzar's plan. Having brough
Read more