Grace

I was driving through town yesterday when I glanced in my rearview mirror and observed two Maine State Trooper vehicles following me.  As I checked my speedometer, the realization came to me that I was doing 35 in a 25 zone.  What can I say?  The law was broken.

They didn’t stop me because of some kind of grace on their part.

It reminds me of the grace God gives because He knows we can’t live up to His righteous standards.

John 1:17

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Don’t be a lawbreaker, but be thankful that, when you do, grace is available.

Think about it.

Gary

Inherited

Rebellion is something we’ve struggled with since the days of potty training.  It’s part of the sin nature we inherited from Adam. Whenever we chafe against the demands of the workplace it revels to us the rebellious nature is operational.

The only place “you can have it your way” is in the vintage burger king commercial.

Joshua 1:18

Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

Consequences of rebellion for Israel coming through the wilderness seemed to be a national habit.

We see it played out today in the streets of our major cities and unfortunately in our own lives.

As the saying goes, “Jesus is the answer for the world today.”

Give it some thought.

Gary

History

‘Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. ‘The quote is most likely due to writer and philosopher George Santayana, and in its original form it read, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Why not go back to the beginning, then travel through time and discover where the human race went wrong?

Genesis 1:1-3

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

God set all things in motion and God will bring it to a conclusion.

You’ll discover Him in the study of human history and you will certainly meet Him when life is over.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Weigh

Did you ever have the inner assurance that you were doing the right thing when it turned into a disaster? That experience is common with many.

Here lays The Kid.
We planted him raw.
He was quick on the trigger,
But slow on the draw.

It’s too bad for the kid because he believed himself to be well-prepared when he lacked the necessary experience to meet the challenge.

Don’t get caught in that dilemma.

Proverbs 21:2

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.

Give it some thought.

Gary

The Soul

I recall as a child seeing my first dead person. How does a young person making that observation understand that we were all born to die?

The poet puts it like this:

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop.
At late or early hour.

To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed.
To lose one’s health is more.
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.

Thirty-nine people died while you read this short poem. Every hour 5,417 go to meet their Maker.

James 4:14

whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Because of the reality of the fact of the end of life, we must give this subject some serious thought.

Gary

Amazing Grace

God reached down and touched the heart of a wicked man out on the open sea. The name of that man was John Newton who went on to pen the hymn, “Amazing Grace.”

“Amazing Grace” has become America’s national hymn.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Grace saves us, keeps us, and will one day deliver us home.

It is amazing.

Think about it.

Gary

Taste

Have you ever been in a situation at mealtime when you observed what was before you with dread?

Then you let it pass through your lips, and when it connected with your taste buds, everything changed and a good meal was enjoyed.

So many observe the Word of God the same way; the problem is they never taste it.

Psa 34:8

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

What a difference it can make if we just give the Scriptures a chance.

Think about it.

Gary