Born free came out in 1967 and was sung by Andy Williams. One line of the song stated, “Born free to follow your heart.” Now I’ve been on this third rock from the sun for seventy-three years, and I can tell you that is not good advice from both my personal experience and Scripture.

You ask, “Where does it warn us about that philosophy?” Glad you asked.

Jeremiah 17:9 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Genesis 8:21 

And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

You may not need this, but the rest of us do. Give it some thought.

Gary

Black holes are regions of spacetime with immense gravity, so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape once it crosses the event horizon. Now I’ve heard of those enamored by black holes. Most don’t care about where they themselves came from, what they are doing here or what happens after life is extinguished, but they think about black holes.

Psalm 8:3-4 

When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?

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.

I thank my God that my IQ is low enough that black holes don’t have a fascination for me. I’m good with what the Scriptures have to say, and eternity will give me time to consider black holes. How about you? Give this some consideration.

Gary

Brewers player ripped for avoiding hit-by-pitch that would have tied game: ‘All he had to do was stand there’

What a headline! The batter was supposed to let a ball traveling 100 miles per hour hit him to win the game because the bases were loaded and the game was tied in the last inning. The pitch was aimed right for his knee. He had a fraction of a second to consider all that information and make a decision.

Many said the game was lost because of him. Sports fans are a strange breed at times.

I’m so thankful the need to consider salvation coming at us doesn’t fall into that kind of thinking.

2 Peter 3:9 

The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Matthew 7:21 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.

That’s a slow pitch, so take your time and knock it out of the park. Give it some thought.

Gary

“Liberty means responsibility. That is why most people dread it.”
– George Bernard Shaw

The people who signed the Declaration of Independence knew this. Those who served in the military were also well aware of that fact. Those who have faithfully gone off to work every day in our country were undergirded by this principle.

Does the Bible address it? Glad you asked.

Galatians 5:13

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

1 Peter 2:16

As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

What principles have you embraced? Think about it.

Gary

“It is an old ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way.”      -Rollo May

I’ve experienced that in my own life and have observed it many times in others. The habit is illustrated in Luke 10 with Martha running to serve while Mary sat. Mary was right and Martha erred.

Luke 10:40-42

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.”

 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Maybe running is not working, so try sitting at the feet of Jesus for a while. Give it some thought.

Gary

I heard about a man who is walking a pit bull down the road. The dog got away and walked up to a preacher and bit him on the knee. Then the dog went across the street and bit a beautiful young woman. The owner was brought before a judge who asked, “Why did your dog bite the preacher?”

The man answered, “I don’t know, he’s never done anything like that before.”

Then the judge asked, “Well, why did he bite the young woman?”

The owner replied, “Oh, that’s easy to answer!  He wanted to get the taste of that preacher out of his mouth.”

This is one preacher that hopes that you are not like that dog, looking to get the taste of me out of your thoughts.

My mandate from the Lord:

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Give it some thought.

Gary

“Anyone who thinks sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car.”
― Garrison Keillor

Garrison sure had that one nailed. However, the truth of that seems not to have pushed him towards a saving knowledge of Christ. I can’t judge him, however, there is not enough evidence from his life to convict him of being a Christian in a court of law.

Matthew 3:8 

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

John 15:8 

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.

Gather up a jury of your peers and see if they can convict you of being a Christian. Give it some thought.

Gary