Thought for November 25, 2024

•  1535: Order of Ursuline Nuns formed for the education of girls and care of the sick and needy
• 1792: First Farmer's Almanac published
• 1841: 35 survivors of the Amistad mutiny return to Africa
• 1863: Battle of Missionary Ridge, TN
• 1920: First Thanksgiving parade--Philadelphia
• 1949: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" appears on the music charts
• 1974: IRA outlawed in Britain
• 1979: First broadcast by Pat Summerall and John Madden [pairing lasts 22 years]
• 1986: Iran-Contra Affair surfaces as President Reagan reveals arms deal
• 1990: Lech Walesa elected President of Poland
• 2014: Protests erupt when policeman sho shot teenager in Missouri is not charged
• Born: Franz Gruber ["Silent Night"], Andrew Carnegie, Karl Benz, Carrie Nation, Ruolph Hess [Auschwitz], Joe DiMaggio, Ricardo Montalban, Joe Gibbs, John F Kennedy, Jr., Bernie Kosar, Donovan McNabb, Barbara and Jenna Bush, Amber Hagerman [Amber Alert]
• Died: Isaac Watts, Robert Lowery, Kennesaw Mountain Landis, Bill Robinson ["Mr. Bojangles"], Charles Kettering [automobile self starter], Upton Sinclair, Flip Wilson, Fidel Castro

Robert Lowry was a Baptist pastor who wrote many familiar hymns--"Shall We Gather at the River", and music for "All the Way My Savior Leads Me," "I Need the Every Hour," "Nothing but the Blood," and "Marching to Zion." Sitting at his pump organ and contemplating Easter, he wrote, "Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior, Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph o'er His foes; He arose a victor from the dark domain and lives forever with His saints to reign . . .Hallelujah, Christ arose!" 

Isaac Watts is one of the greatest hymn writers of all time. He learned Latin at age 4, Greek by age 9, French by age 11, and Hebrew at age 13. He thought people did not reflect joy while singing the psalms in church. He and Robert Lowery are connected because Lowery wrote the music and Watts wrote the lyrics to "Marching to Zion." He wrote "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" [Galatians 6:14] "Joy to the World" [based on Psalm 98. Watts said that psalm says "Shout joyfully to the Lord" and he could think of no great reason to sout for joy than that Jesus came into the world.], "O God Our Help in Ages Past" [on Psalm 90], "I Sing the Mighty Power of God," and “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?". John Wesley said he would trade all the hymns he ever wrote to have written "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." 

Thought:

Reading 1 Corinthians 3 today. But I got stuck on verse 3 and the question Paul poses to the church at Corinth--"are you not walking like mere men?" Here the church was divided, some saying they were followers of Paul, others saying they were followers of Apollos. This created jealousy and strife. A church divided. We have seen this in our nation in the recent election--I am a Republican, I am a Democrat--strife, slander, gossip, anger, violence. Paul might teach us that we are all Americans. But here he wants them to know that when we walk in jealousy and strife we are walking in the flesh, as mere men and women. 

Now look at verse 9. We are not to walk like mere men for we are God's field, God's building. We are to be building our lives and the church on the one foundation that is Jesus [3:10]. We do not build our lives on Paul or Apollos, but on Christ. Paul reaches this conclusion in verses 21-23: We belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God [is God]. 

What causes us to walk like mere men? Look at verses 18-20. We think we are wise. When I think wisdom originates with me or with you, I am deceived. For God looks at the wisdom of this world and calls it foolishness. And the world calls the wisdom of God foolishness. So Paul tells us to become foolish to the world so that we can become wise in the wisdom from God. This convicts me. Do I think the world's economy is wise or do I look to God's economy for wisdom in how I steward His resources? Do I think the world's power is wise, or do I look for the power of God through the Holy Spirit as wisdom? 

Lord, help me to walk like Jesus, not like a mere man.

Blessings

Larry