Thought for September 2, 2024

•  31 BC: Battle of Actium effectively ends the Roman Republic
• 1192: Third Crusade ends with a treaty--Saladin and Richard the Lionheart
• 1666: Great Fire of London destroys 80% of the city
• 1752: Britain and America adopt Gregorian calendar. Shift from the Julian calendar makes the next day September 14--11 days skipped
• 1798: First U.S. bank robbery
• 1864: Sherman burns Atlanta
• 1898: Machine gun first used in battle
• 1901: Teddy Roosevelt says, "speak softly and carry a big stick."
• 1935: Hurricane hits Florida killing 423
• 1940: Great Smokey Mountains National Park dedicated
• 1944: Anne Frank sent to Auschwitz
• 1945: Ho Chi Minh declares Viet Nam independent from France
• 1963: George Wallace prevents integration of Tuskegee High School
• 1969: First ATM
• Born: Adolph Rupp, Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Connors, Keanu Reeves, Salma Hayek
• Died: Alving York, Ho Chi Minh, JRR Tolkien, Bob Denver, Pheidippides [man who ran from Battle of Marathon to bring news of victory to Athens. Like us, he carried the good news, gospel, of victory]

Thought:

Contemplating Mark 14:36 this morning. Thinking about Jesus' prayer I understand that I am really good about praying the first two parts, but fail miserably on the last phrase. Think about this verse with me today:

• Daddy. Reading Abba Father speaks to me. I always called my father "Daddy." Even when he was 76 [when he died] and I was 46. And, as I have written before, he always called me son, or when I was real young, "sonny boy." Jesus is facing separation from His Father because of our sin. Jesus knows about the coming physical pain, the rejection, the mocking. But He is acutely aware of the separation when He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. So He speaks to God in the most intimate way. This reminds me of God's desire for me to approach Him as the God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, but also as my heavenly Father who adopted me out of His great love and infinite grace. 
• All things are possible with Thee. We all seek miracles in our lives and the lives of those around us. This reminds me that God is the God of the impossible. He opens doors that I don't even see. He moves the mountains of my fear, anger, impatience, selfishness  and greed. He is sovereign. I need to be reminded that nothing is too difficult for Him and nothing is beyond His power. Satan sometimes lies to us and says that we are asking too much, expecting too much, relying too much. Lord, You sometimes ask for things, attitudes, obedience that seems impossible--but nothing is impossible with You.
• Remove this cup. This is my go to prayer. Lord, remove me from this situation. Change everything around me. Cover up my mistakes and sin by simply moving things around. And sometimes God does lift me from the fire, but more often, He says take my hand and I'll walk through the fire with you. It helps me to know that in His humanity Jesus asked for a similar thing.
• Not My will but Thine. This is the part I have trouble with. I want God to conform His will to mine, His gifts to my desires. I want Him to change the circumstances and not change me. Lord, help me be more like You--Father conform my will to Yours, my thoughts to Yours, my timing to Yours, my goals to Yours. 

And I am glad that the Father understood this prayer. And I think the Father cried when His Son said, "why have You forsaken Me?" But the Father was glorified by the Son when the Son did the Father's will. I need to learn that. 

Blessings

Larry