The hit on the radio in late June of 1967 was “Bottle of Wine”, a song written and recorded by Tom Paxton. One stanza is as follows:

… Bottle of wine, fruit of the vine
When you gonna let me get sober
Leave me along, let me go home
I wanna go back and start over

I don’t know how many people were killed or injured by drunk drivers that year, but I’m sure there were many. The family units destroyed that year are only known by God. The number of promising careers that never made it off the ground was tragic. Also the number of military who received dishonorable discharges because of drunkenness will never be known.

We were young and only saw one side of the issue. Drinking was fun and led to all kinds of excitement.

The Bible does address this phenomenon:

Proverbs 20:1 (NKJV)

Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Proverbs 20:1(NLT)

Wine makes people act in a foolish way. Strong drink starts fights. Whoever is fooled by it is not wise.

Give it some thought.

Gary

1 Corinthians 4:1-3

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 

Paul chose the word steward because it referred to a person entrusted with his master’s goods. This individual had to have one quality above all others. Paul’s faithfulness was being questioned. Can you imagine the man God chose to write twelve or thirteen books of the New Testament being questioned? Probably, he was the one who accomplished more for missions than anyone ever born on the planet. His life was not lived for personal pleasure but for service to the King.

America was built by faithful people. They are credited for their faithfulness to their spouses, employers, families, institutions, nation and church. Our generation has been tremendously blessed by those of past generations who exhibited such a quality.

Like the Apostle Paul go out there today and be faithful in spite of what others might say.

Think about it.

Gary

Gipsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible although he had “gone through it several times.”

“Let it go through you once,” replied Smith, “Then you will tell a different story!”

The problem is never the Word of God, but the problem is, many times, the preconceived ideas of the one reading it.

Mark 4:5-6

Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 

The Explanation:

Mark 4:16-17

These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 

Read the Scriptures with anticipation. God’s desire is to communicate with you.

Give it some thought.

Gary

I don’t feel like I need God. I don’t feel like going to church. I don’t feel like praying. Have any of these emotions moved you in the wrong direction?

That’s a difficult concept to understand when it comes to spiritual things. How many mornings of your life did you not feel like going to school? How many times did you not feel like changing the baby’s diaper? How many times did you not feel like going to work?

The word feel is defined as an emotion.  Emotion is not an accurate guide to take us through life. Eve felt eating the fruit was the thing to do. Adam felt that hiding from God was the best course of action under the circumstances. Sarah felt that she needed to help God fulfill His promise by having Abraham impregnate Hagar. Judas felt he should betray Christ and make some profit. How did that work out for them?

Don’t look in the mirror and ask yourself, “What do I feel like doing?” What you should be asking is- What should I be doing because I’m a child of God and my citizenship is in heaven?

Psalm 32:9

Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Psalm 119:34

Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

“Hooked on a feeling,” makes for great verbiage in a country and western song but doesn’t cut the mustard in the test tube of life.

Give it some thought.

Gary

The blab-it-and-grab-it folks in Christianity teach that salvation is a get-out-of-jail-free card. Nothing bad will ever befall you and you’ll live in health and financial prosperity all your life. Their message makes money for them but is far from the accounts found in Scripture. The Bible teaches that our life is one of struggle and the walk of the believer involves work.

Vance Havner said it well in a few words;

“A soft and sheltered Christianity, afraid to be lean and lone, unwilling to face the storms and brave the heights, will end up fat and foul in the cages of conformity.”
― Vance Havner

The word for today is perseverance:

2 Peter 1:5-9

 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Put on your work clothes and start adding what’s necessary.

Think about it.

Gary

In Luke chapter 17, there is an account of ten lepers who were healed by the Lord Jesus. In that day there was no cure for leprosy. It was a death sentence. Leprosy meant isolation from the community and family and a very lonely existence until death. Like I stated, Jesus completely healed ten of them. However, only one returned to give thanks and it is stated that he was a Samaritan. Tragic isn’t it?

In the Bible, leprosy is used to illustrate sin. We all are infected by it and our only recourse is the salvation Jesus secured for us on Calvary. How many who have placed faith in Christ are really thankful? That’s a good question, isn’t it? Do you have an answer?

Romans 1:21

because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

If God has dealt with the sin issue in you, make sure you thank Him.

Give it some thought.

Gary

My sisters tell me that the day I was born was special, not because of my arrival, but because Grammy fried hot dogs for them. I don’t know how accurate that is because I can’t remember a thing about that day. The only record that is official is what the town clerk put into the ledger.

The department of education went by the official document because they knew I was five and had to go to school.

On that exact date, I graduated from Allagash Consolidated High School.

On that date, because I was now eighteen, Catrina Anderson wanted my signature on the eligibility form for the draft. When they pulled the numbers, I was number 285, so I didn’t have to go. My friend was number 8. He went.

On the day I turned twenty-one, the drinking age was lowered to eighteen and it was also on my birthday. They figured if you could die at eighteen in Vietnam, you should be able to drink in the USA. For my sake, it was good that they had held off till I was twenty-one.

Other than that, June eleven of every year is just another day. It means little to me and even less to everyone else.

Strange how you look back at time and events and realize the influence they had on your life. One day, God told me all about it in a verse.

Psalm 23:6

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Can you visualize goodness and unfailing love in the shadow of every picture of your existence?

Give it some thought.

Gary