Aches and Praise Six Hundred & Ten

May 19, 2023

 
Dear friends,  
 

Last Sunday, we celebrated mothers. This was the first time that I did not thank my mother for all that she did to help me because she went to be with the Lord last September. I am amazed when I think back to my childhood and remember what Mom did and said to guide me and encourage me.

Pastor Brad Mellette of Grace Church in Verdun examined many verses about mothers at the beginning of his sermon on Mother’s Day. You can hear this beginning at the 25-minute mark at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfv8JLcHg2g

In his blog post yesterday, George Worthy shared this: “During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in a bind. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia if they would bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. Each piece of jewelry he received, he would exchange for a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. These decorations would be inscribed, ‘I gave gold for iron, 1813’.

The response was overwhelming. But more importantly, the women prized these gifts from the king even more highly than their former jewelry! The reason, of course, is clear. They were proof that they had sacrificed for their king.

When we come to know our King, we, too should want to exchange the flourishes of our former life for Him. The amazing thing about our King is that He not only takes our jewels but He takes our rags too — and uses them for the good of His Kingdom!”

In his book “We Cannot Be Silent” R. Albert Mohler, Jr. shares the following quotation from Pitirim Sorokin, the first professor of sociology at Harvard University: “Among the many changes of the last few decades a peculiar revolution has been taking place in the lives of millions of American men and women. Quite different from the better-known political and economic revolutions, it goes almost unnoticed. Devoid of noisy public explosions, its stormy scenes are confined to the privacy of the bedroom and involve only individuals. Unmarked by dramatic events on a large scale, it is free from civil war, class struggle, and bloodshed. It has no revolutionary army to fight its enemies. It does not try to overthrow governments. It has no great leader … As a revolution, it has not been featured on the front pages of our press, or on radio or television. Its name is the sex revolution.”

This was written in 1956 by a man who was born in Russia and condemned to death by the last emperor, Czar Nicholas II. Sorokin escaped that death sentence and served as private secretary to the interim government that was in place after the czar died. Sorokin was sentenced to death again and was exiled by Vladimir Lenin before moving to the United States. Al Mohler, Jr. writes: “Even in 1956, he saw the world being turned upside down; he saw the sexual revolution coming in full force.”

Our world is changing rapidly, but we can put our trust in the One who “In the beginning… created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) and who loved the world so much “that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Scripture for the weekend: “And someone came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?’ And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ Then he said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not commit murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 19:16-19 (NASB)                     

Thought for the weekend: “It is believed that the spices used for the Lord’s burial were those personally belonging to Nicodemus. Instead of saving them for his own burial, he gave them to Jesus as an offering of love and devotion. John 19:39 tells us these spices weighed ‘about a hundred pounds,which would have been the amount used to bury a great king – not merely a good man or a simple teacher. Nicodemus acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God and treated Him with great respect.” – Dr. Charles Stanley from “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible”
 

By His grace,                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Steve


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