Two Frenchmen met up in a bar. No, this is not a joke. These were two French-Americans. One of them would be my godfather six years after this incident. They were American GIs fighting their way through France.

My godfather had been wounded and was convalescing. The medical staff okayed his going out to a bar on crutches, along with some other wounded men. When he arrived, the place was packed with GIs and he couldn’t get in. Out of nowhere, this big rugged army soldier from his hometown appeared. The guy picked him up in his arms, crutches and all, and forcefully moved through the crowd of thirsty combat soldiers, all the way to the bar.

It always amazes me in the Christian life how a brother or sister appears at just the right moment. We might have a wound and could use some “forget-it-time.” Thank God for these burden-bearers and their unforgettable service.

However, there are so many in the way of making that possible.

Proverbs 17:17 

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Galatians 6:2 

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Help the wounded.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Some time ago, President Carter was on a tour that took him to several nations. The men who went with him said that the most touching and moving part of the whole trip was when President Carter stopped at Normandy Beach. He stood there, looking at those markers, those monuments, signifying that tremendous battle, that change of the tide of human affairs which switched the victory to our side. It is said that he was moved to tears as he looked at that monument and thought of the great price that was paid for freedom.

How could anybody not be taken by such a sight of sacrifice, devotion and bravery for the cause of freedom?  This is an event that should be remembered every year.

Israel was told to never forget their deliverance from bondage in a feast day.

Exodus 13:3

And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

There are events in history that must never be forgotten.

Think about it.

Gary

Americans are getting warned to death. Manufacturers are growing increasingly wary of being sued when their products are misused, so they are attaching warning labels to hundreds of items.

For example, a Batman outfit bears this caveat: “Parents, please exercise caution—FOR PLAY ONLY. Mask and cape are not protective; cape does not enable user to fly.”

A faulty belief system can lead to some terrible consequences. Deciding what is real and what is make-believe is a challenge for every generation.

The book of Jude gave such warnings:

These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

Warning: These people can harm you and take away what should only belong to you.

Think about it.

Gary

The park ranger is warning some hikers about bears:

“Brown bears are usually harmless and avoid contact with humans. So, we suggest you attach small bells to your backpacks and give the bears time to get out of your way. However, grizzly bears are extremely dangerous. If you see grizzly bear droppings, leave the area immediately.”

“How do you know if they are grizzly bear droppings?” asked a hiker.

“Easy,” replied the ranger, “they are full of small bells.”

We, as Christians also live in a dangerous place and need to be careful of our surroundings.

Proverbs 27:12

The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

Proverbs 14:16

One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

Hebrews 11:7

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Ephesians 5:15

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

To be circumspect is to be wary; the word comes from a Latin word literally meaning “look around.” “Walk circumspectly” is Paul’s way of urging Christians to look very carefully at how they live and behave.

 Give it some thought. Some people “barely” make it.

Gary

Can you smell that? If you can’t, then you have a condition called anosmia. A friend of mine didn’t know he’d been sprayed by a skunk until he entered the house and his wife quickly told him. He had a bad case of anosmia.

A Dutch museum recently took advantage of the sense of smell by surrounding a Jan Willem painting, “The Battle of Waterloo” with a unique fragrance. The combination of gunpowder, sweat, and a perfume called 4711 Eau de Cologne, which is the one Napoleon wore. The painting was enhanced by the smell.

How should we smell?

2 Corinthians 2:15

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

2 Corinthians 2:14

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Do we pass the smell test?

Think about it.

Gary

Vance Havner put it best when he wrote, “We need a heart warming…The early Christians did not need a shot in the arm every Sunday to keep them going. They knew Jesus and they upset the world and worried the devil and gave wicked rulers insomnia and started something the jails couldn’t lock up, fire couldn’t burn, water couldn’t drown, swords couldn’t kill.”

Somebody took the truth and made it just a religion. Believing pageantry and ceremony would direct a lost and lonely soul, they seriously erred from the truth.

It is only by getting back to a personal relationship with Christ that we can bring a real change in this world. He is looking for broken people who see their situation for what it really is.

Luke 18:13

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

To paraphrase it, Jesus said that tax collector had it nailed. How do you see yourself?

Give it some thought.

Gary

Italian artist Salvatore Garau created an artwork that must be seen to be believed. Only, you can’t see it. It’s invisible. Still, that didn’t stop him from successfully selling the nonexistent artwork to someone who saw enough there to shell out $18,300.

Heaven’s Gate’s leader, Marshall Applewhite, believed that God was an advanced alien travelling in a spaceship behind the Hale-Bopp comet. The bodies of Heaven’s Gate’s leader, Marshall Applewhite – also known as “Do” – and 38 members were discovered on March 26, 1997. The group had been part of a mass suicide which they believed would earn them access to a spacecraft following Comet Hale-Bopp.

What do these two events have in common? They make us ask, “Are you nuts?”

There is a Book containing ancient words that communicates to us what is visible and invisible:

Romans 1:20

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Colossians 1:16

For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.

Think about it.

Gary