Thought for November 13, 2024

• 619: Second Council of Seville rules that hymns from texts not taken directly from Scripture are allowable
• 1644: Massachusetts outlaws Baptists as "troublers of churches" 
• 1789: Ben Franklin writes, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes"
• 1902: Joseph Conrad publishes "Heart of Darkness", previously released in serialized form
• 1952: First sale of false fingernails
• 1982: Vietnam War Memorial Wall opens, listing over 58,000 killed or missing
• Born: St. Augustine of Hippo,  Robert Louis Stevenson, Louis Brandeis
• Died: Thomas Chippendale, Edward Mote [wrote "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less"], Francis Thompson [wrote "Hound of Heaven"], Karen Silkwood

Edward Mote also wrote another song we sing. Working as a carpenter, he wrote four verses and put them in his pocket. A week later, he visited the dying wife of his pastor and sang the four verses he had written. The pastor asked for a copy of the verses, so we now sing, "On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand."

I have said before that I have a difficult time reading "Hound of Heaven" the poem about God's relentless pursuit of the lost. You may have seen or heard the poem because several things have been based on its theme:

• RH Gammel painted a series of 23 paintings
• The poem was quoted in part by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education
• Michael Card wrote a song based on the poem in 1981
• If you read "The Gospel According to Peanuts", the Hound of Heaven is the title of the fifth chapter
• Fox News commentator Kristen Powers described her journey from atheist to agnostic to devout Christian by saying, "the Hound of Heaven pusued and caught me."

Thought:

Continuing this morning to review those things Pauls tells us provide evidence of God's will for a transformed life:

• Persevere through tribulation. [12:12]  Does the world see Jesus in the way I handle difficult times. I often hear people who have faced tragedy, illness, loss--I don't know how those without Christ can make it. Does the way I make it cause others to ask what it is that allows me to face trials with hope and joy and peace. The rest of verse 12 gives part of the reason--devoted to prayer.
• Contributing to the needs of the saints. [12:13] Would an examination of my checkbook or credit card bill be a testimony to others about the love of Christ. Peter Marshall ["A Man Called Peter"] once prayed during the offertory at his church--Lord help us to give according to Your blessings, lest You in Your wisdom decide to bless us according to our giving.
• Practice hospitality [12:13]. I am always struck by the fact that hospitality includes the word, "hospital." Do I demonstrate hospitality--seeking to offer a place of caring, comforting, healing, blessing? Do people see my door, my email, my phone as open to anyone with a need? Do I have time to be hospitable? 
• Bless those that persecute you. [12:14] Jesus said the same thing in the Sermon on the Mount.. How do I react and respond to someone who hurts me, accuses me falsely? 
• Do not be haughty. [12:16] Paul tells us to associate with the lowly. Do I find myself treating some people with honor and respect because of their title, position, power, and treating others less well because they have no standing, cannot help me.
• .Do not be wise in your own estimation. [12:16] Some of you have heard me say that when I was a child and a teen my grandmother lived with us. She had a tremendous positive impact on my life. She would say, 'I wish I could buy you for what you are worth and sell you for what you think you are worth. I would be rich." I now recognize that wisdom comes from above. And that God often gives wisdom to others that I need to hear and follow. 

More tomorrow.

Blessings

Larry