“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” —Winston Churchill
Did you know the Apostle Paul experienced such things on his missionary journeys? Case in point:
For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
Opposition doesn’t mean you are on the wrong track but could be proof that you are in God’s perfect will.
Give it some thought.
Gary
A woman was giving birth to a baby in an elevator at a hospital. When she complained about the location, a nurse said, “Why this isn’t so bad; last year a woman delivered her baby on the front lawn.”
“Yes,” said the woman on the floor, “that was me, too.”
– Source unknown
Some people just seem to come up short, never quite getting to the place they should be. Does the Bible address it? Glad you asked.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
Be there. Don’t fall prey to a mistake in timing. Give it some thought.
Gary
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t the apple on the tree that got us banished from Paradise.
It was the pair on the ground.
– Unknown
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
You were born with a problem and only the new birth has the solution. Give it some thought.
Gary
Max Lucado says, “The Bible has been banned, burned, scoffed, and ridiculed. Scholars have mocked it as foolish. Kings have branded it as illegal. A thousand times over, the grave has been dug and the dirge has begun, but somehow the Bible never stays in the grave. Not only has it survived, it has thrived. It’s the single most popular book in all of history. It has been the best-selling book in the world for years.”
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
But He answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
What does it mean to you? Do you know Him as Lord, Savior, Counselor, and Enabler? Give it some careful consideration.
Gary
Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asks a young engineer fresh out of university, “What starting salary are you expecting?”
The engineer replies, “$200,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”
The interviewer says, “Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks’ vacation, full medical and dental, gym membership, all meals provided and a Lamborghini company car to use?”
The engineer sits up straight and says, “Wow, are you kidding?!”
The interviewer says, “Yeah, but you started it.”
What are you expecting from Christianity? Is it wealth, health and a problem-free life? Then, do you want to die peacefully in your sleep? Now that’s funny.
Hebrews 11:35-38
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
Give it some thought.
Gary
Recently, we sat in a restaurant on a Sunday night, enjoying hotdogs and french-fries. Almost exactly fifty-five years earlier, on our first date, I had ordered a hotdog with the works then too. Unbeknownst to me, that’s not how Paula liked her hotdogs. To make matters worse, as she waited in the 65 Corvair I was driving, she ended up in a haze of blue smoke because oil had apparently fallen on the manifold.
They said our teenage marriage wouldn’t work out. They forgot we could call out to One who could help when we found ourselves in the troubled waters of life’s sea.
Anytime you’re against the current thought and public opinion, have a little talk with Jesus.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Give it some thought and always order with the works.
Gary
Handcuffed to a gurney, a young man in his early twenties was in the back of the ambulance with me, for I was the paramedic responsible for his safe arrival to a mental institution. We talked freely during the transport, and I couldn’t figure out why he was in such a state. I clearly shared the gospel with him, and now the decision to reject it or embrace it lay before him. I related to him that it was no coincidence that we’d been brought together at this time, and if he believed, God would bring others along to open the eyes of his understanding. Tears were in his eyes as I asked if he desired a different course of living.
I do, however, feel guilty because of the many I didn’t share the gospel with. Thankfully, this opportunity with this young man wouldn’t leave me feeling that I’d come up short in my responsibilities. Due to confidentiality, I don’t know what happened after that day, but I do know I did what I was called to do that time.
Romans 10:14
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Give it some thought.
Gary