Do you know what the difference is between involvement and commitment? Just look at a plate of ham and eggs. The chickens were involved; the pig was committed!

How many times in Scripture we find individuals who were committed like: Noah, Abraham, Gideon, David and his mighty men.

I question my own commitment. Do you question yours?

Psalm 37:5

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

Proverbs 16:3

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Quit just getting your foot wet and screaming. Dive in!

Give it some thought.

Gary

God is on the lookout today for a man who will be quiet enough to get a message from Him, brave enough to preach it, and honest enough to live it.

Vance Havner

So many who claimed the mantle of being a Christian leader have proven to be phony when the curtain came down. Thank God for those who have lived Christ, promoted Him, and died still honoring their calling. Many of these individuals are the bedrock of my Christian experience and I am thankful for them.

The Word of God is full of such examples.  We need more like the Apostle Paul.

1 Corinthians 7:7

I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Seven Ages of Man

6 weeks –all systems go
6 years –all systems “No!”
16 years–all systems know
26 years–all systems glow
36 years–all systems owe
56 years–all systems status quo
76 years–all systems slow

R.M. Cornelius in The Rotarian.

I never believed I’d awake some morning and be seventy years old, but it happened. Whatever happened to sliding down the knoll, dating girls, getting married, going to college, buying a house, paying off stuff, having different dogs and strange cats, enjoying vacations and starting wrinkles and gray hair. These are all in the wake as the boat of life races into old age. It happened to multitudes before me and now it’s my turn. I have to go now, for I have a doctor’s appointment.

Isaiah 46:4 

Even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. 

Psalm 92:14 

They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,

Psalm 71:9 

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

Time…  Think about it.

Gary

There are four ages of man:

1) when you believe in Santa Claus,

2) when you don’t believe in Santa Claus,

3) when you are Santa Claus,

4) when you look like Santa Claus.

That’s about the way it is. No amount of exercise, medication, medical procedures or vitamins will change the inevitable. It’s certainly more productive to emphasize the hereafter over the here-and-now.

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.

Ephesians 5:16

Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Give it some thought.

Gary

A foreigner in Israel made a decision about serving God and King David who had just been driven from the throne. Ittai brought many with him to wander along with the rejected king in his time of need.

 2 Samuel 15:19-21 

But suddenly the king turned to Ittai, the captain of the six hundred Gittites, and said to him, “What are you doing here? Go on back with your men to Jerusalem, to your king, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. It seems but yesterday that you arrived, and now today should I force you to wander with us, who knows where? Go on back and take your troops with you, and may the Lord be merciful to you.”

But Ittai replied, “I vow by God and by your own life that wherever you go, I will go, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”

Believers are also foreigners in this world who have made a decision to serve the rejected King. Our decision is not taken lightly and could cost us dearly. It should reveal whose side we are on and how far we will go.

Ephesians 2:19

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Give it some thought.

Gary

Charles the Simple, Son of Louis the Stammerer, was so-called for his policy of making concessions to the Norse invaders rather than fighting.

Louis the Sluggard, noted for his self-indulgence, ruled from 986 to 987 over the Franks.

Ethelred the Unready (968-1016) was so-called because of his inability to repel the Danish invasion of England. At first, he paid tribute to the Danes, but their raids continued, and he was forced to abandon England for Normandy in 1013. Those who are more generous call him Ethelred the Ill-advised.

Louis the Fat, like his father, was obese. At the age of forty-seven because of his extreme corpulence, he was unable to mount his horse.

Just a thought, but what do you think the historians will call us?  Will our decisions and appetites give rise to a name that is less than complimentary?

Colossians 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Think about it.

Gary the Concerned

Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ring-tailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s simple. They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method the Zulus use is based on knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the seeds inside. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. This he cannot do. His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and tug, screech and fight the melon for hours. But he can’t get free of the trap unless he gives up the seeds, which he refuses to do. Meanwhile, the Zulus sneak up and nab him.

Proverbs 28:25 

A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.

Luke 12:15 

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

What are you hanging on to that will put you into captivity?

Give it some thought.

Gary