Do the words on the Statue of Liberty still ring true?

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door! 

The French gave us a gift. Do we appreciate it?

 God gave us His Word as a gift. Do we appreciate it?

Acts 2:21 

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

James 1:17 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Are these gifts for everyone?

Give it some thought.

Gary

Nehemiah 4:1

But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 

If you really want to tick-off the enemies of God, just do what God has called you to do. Just do it and behold the flames will be coming out of their ears.

1 Samuel 15:22

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

James 1:22

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Give it some thought and then do it.

Gary

“When life is too hard to stand, kneel.”

–  author unknown

Acts 3:19 

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

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.

The time is now. You choose the position.

Give it some thought.

Gary

“Mama Told Me Not to Come” was a song written by Randy Newman in 1970. As with most Newman songs, he assumes a character; in this song the narrator is a sheltered and extraordinarily straitlaced young man, who recounts what is presumably his first “wild” party in the big city, where he is shocked and appalled by marijuana smoking, whiskey drinking, and loud music.

Many a youth has taken that path, and sadly, most don’t recover. What does the Bible say about the nightlife?

Proverbs 1:10,15-16

My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.

My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;

For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.

Give it some thought and warn the young.

Gary

In the 28th chapter of Isaiah, the nation of Judah had covered itself in a web of lies for safety. I believe this chapter is relevant for our present time. Like the song says, “Every form of refuge has its price.”

Isaiah 28:15

You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,
with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie our refuge
and falsehood our hiding place.”

There is only one true refuge. The question is, are you in it?

Psalm 62:8

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Gary

He was a little redheaded kid back in the fifties. The bully of the school took great pleasure in picking on him. One day he decided it was time to hopefully bring an end to the harassment. As the agitator came towards him for the daily torment, the little guy sent forth his fist with all the energy he could muster. The tormentor found himself lying in a puddle in the school yard. That was the end of his daily antagonism.

That redheaded kid learned a lesson about himself that translated into life’s challenges. The military, helicopters and airplanes were lesser fears. Even flying over the Amazon jungle in a small aircraft as a missionary was doable. Now he has taken on old age and I’m sure he’ll continue to stand above this one.

Deuteronomy 20:4 

For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’

Psalm 108:13 

With God we shall do valiantly; it is He who will tread down our foes.

That kid is no longer in the school yard, but the lessons he leaves us, as believers, live on.

Give it some thought.

Gary

A last-second shot by player Mike Thurston put Caribou on top in a moment that had people from both sides of their court screaming in disbelief and jumping in the air.  It was 1969 and the state finals were at stake when Mike fired from over half court and sank the winning shot to finalize Caribou as number one in the state. Victory has its emotions.

That is also true of a more important victory and that is found in the pages of Scripture.

Deuteronomy 20:4 

For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.

Psalm 108:13 

With God we shall do valiantly; it is He who will tread down our foes.

My prayer is that people take spiritual victory as having much greater value than the sport’s victory that is meaningless in eternity.

Give it some thought.

Gary