Throughout his ministry, Vance Havner lived and preached that a Christian should exhibit faithfulness to Jesus in all areas of life. He taught that the Christian should attend to, “the outliving of the in-living Christ.” Havner wrote, “To some, Christianity is an argument. To many, it is a performance. To a few, it is an experience.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Romans 12:2 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 Give it some thought.

Gary

Sometimes folks wonder why I quote those who have no connection to Christianity in order to teach spiritual truth. However, I believe some of my methods come from the Apostle Paul who under inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote the following, while confronting the Athenians’ concern about offending an unknown god:

Acts 17:28-29

for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 

Some, although not Christians, have a vague but accurate knowledge of the Creator God.

Give it some consideration.

Gary

She called telling me she was from the pain management center in Maine. I asked her which town in Maine she was calling from. I was met with silence. I guess scammers based in India don’t know of various places in Maine. 

Scamming also goes on in religion and has a six-thousand-year history. Does the Bible address it? Glad you asked.

John 8:44 

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Genesis 3:4 

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

Yes, he is still in business and has millions calling with his offering of a better life. Don’t get taken. Give it some thought.

Gary

When we’re young, we sneak out of our house to go to parties. When we’re old, we sneak out of parties to go home.

Time changes all things. Our energy, our outlook and our goals can take a real beating with the passage of time. Does the Bible address this fact? Glad you asked.

Psalm 90:10 

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Psalm 71:9 

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.

If you’re old, stop with the plans and start thinking about eternity. Leave something behind besides your fingerprints.

Give it some thought.

Gary

When the problem speaks about the problem, without realizing she’s/he’s the problem, there’s a problem.

-Author unknown

Does the Bible address problems? Glad you asked.

1 John 1:8 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 Timothy 5:20 

As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

Don’t deny the revelation that there’s a problem, but do something about it. Be a problem solver.

Think about it.

Gary

“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”

― Andre Gide, Autumn Leaves

I don’t know about you, but I burnt up some brain cells thinking about that one. I understand this to say: You will always have enemies, but don’t pretend you are more than what you are because the results will produce more adversaries. Just be yourself and those you attract will be true.

Philippians 2:3 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Luke 6:31 

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Give it some thought and don’t pretend to be what you are not.

Gary

It’s not fair that coffee stains your teeth brown, but milk doesn’t stain them white. Really, some things don’t seem to be right from an uneducated point of view. However, through research we can understand the chemical principles which cause those seeming contradictions.

Now where am I going with this? Glad you asked. Most people believe they are good enough to go to heaven. They compare themselves to others and conclude that they are okay. However, a general knowledge of Scripture refutes that assumption.

Mark 10:18 

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

Romans 3:23 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:12 

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

If man could be good enough, Jesus would not have had to have been crucified!

Give it some thought.

Gary