William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth Colony of pilgrims, insisted, “Those who believe in the Holy Scriptures are bound to observe its teachings.  Those who do not are bound by its consequences.”

The carpenter, and I use that term lightly, was putting a window in my garage. The hole was cut and I walked up to it and realized the bottom was at eye-level. I told his boss, “I think we have a problem here.” I expect a little more from a carpenter.

Can you imagine an electrician doing work at your house, finishing, and leaving you the bill? After that, every time you flush, you receive an electrical shock. You expect more from an electrician.

So it should be with every Christian:

Galatians 5:25

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

“Those who walk with God, always reach their destination.” ― Henry Ford 

“If I walk with the world, I can’t walk with God.”  Dwight L. Moody

Think about it.

Gary

A whirlwind is a column of air moving rapidly around and around in a cylindrical or funnel shape. On Nov 21, 2017, a whirlwind hit the Mediterranean coast in the province of Antalya, Turkey, injuring 38 people and causing significant damage to agricultural land, cars, and houses.

There are also personal whirlwinds when life is falling apart, answers can’t be found, and faith is being severely tested. Case in point would be the book of Job. His wife finally said, “Why don’t you curse God and die?”

The Scriptures give us an assurance that even in such a severe storm God is still in complete control.

Job 38:1

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

Nahum 1:3

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

All you can do in a whirlwind is hang on and patiently wait for it to be over. God doesn’t operate like that because He is always in complete control.

Give it some thought.

Gary

“Give Me Just a Little More Time” is the debut single for Chairmen of the Board, released in 1970 through Capitol Records on Holland–Dozier–Holland‘s Invictus Records label. The individual is asking for a little more time to let love take root. I don’t know if it ever did. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time.

Cain, Esau, and many more Bible characters ran out the clock and could have used a little more time. A view of the cemetery headstones will make a statement about so many who have run out of time. There are tests of academics, physical fitness, and games that are timed. Life unfortunately is also timed.

Ephesians 5:16

Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

James 4:14

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Colossians 4:5

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

 How much time do you think you have left? Remember you are on the clock.

Give it some thought.

Gary

My brother-in-law and I each own a Toyota that is a few years apart in age. Recently, we were standing where we could observe the rear of both cars. I asked him, “How come your tailgate has a little black button next to the latch that mine doesn’t have?” He replied that he didn’t know, so I proceeded to push the button. It made a clicking noise and nothing happened. After that, the back hatch wouldn’t open, even after we tried a few things. To say the least, I was embarrassed, and he wouldn’t let on as to what he thought of my nearsighted curiosity.

After some time, the owner’s manual ended up in my wife’s hands. (She is forever pulling me out of the holes I dig.) She found out that the window in his vehicle’s back hatch could be lifted open. When that button is depressed, it releases the lift-up glass hatch and the liftgate won’t go up. Another save by the feminine part of our marriage.

Application: Don’t touch anything that you don’t understand or shouldn’t be your concern, especially when it is owned by someone else.  Another great asset in my life is the fact that my brother-in-law is very forgiving.

Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Give it some thought.

Gary

“He Stopped Loving Her Today” is a song recorded by American country music artist George Jones. It has been named in several surveys as the greatest country song of all time. It was released in April 1980.

He stopped loving her today
They placed a wreath upon his door
And soon they’ll carry him away
He stopped loving her today 

When I was a kid, hanging a wreath on a door meant someone in that home had died. Usually, a wake was being observed in that very home. It was a very somber and serious time. People from the community would gather and pay their respects.

It meant the end of that life, no more heartache and regret, no more sorrow and disappointment.

It was not a place you wanted to be, but according to Scripture, it was a better place than being at a party.

Ecclesiastes 7:2-3

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting:

For that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

These events and signs cause us to reflect on how short-lived we are and what we should be doing here.

Give it some thought.

Gary

We don’t know of his parents.

We don’t know the circumstances of his birth.

We don’t know how much schooling he had.

We don’t know his political opinions.

We don’t know his worldview.

We don’t know why his brother loved him so.

We don’t know his wife’s name.

We don’t know his previous failures in life.

But we do know:

1. How he was converted: there was a soul winner in his family.
2. How he was called.
3. How he failed.
4. How he always recovered from failure and progressed.
5. How he was such an asset to the early church.
6. How his two books have been a blessing for almost 2,000 years.

John 3:8

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 

His name is Peter and you should read his books sometime. God will bless you for it.

Think about it.

Gary

A while back, I mentioned the fires we would make on the ice when we were skating. In our youth, there was always a fire going to keep warm by during breaks and also to provide lighting for evening ventures. The fuel for our fires consisted of old car tires. Sometimes we would use gasoline and/or kerosene to ensure ignition.

 This particular night we had the tires stacked high and doused with gasoline. I can still see him going up to our pile, sticking his head above the tires, and striking the match. There was an explosion and this kid almost did a complete somersault in the air. We couldn’t believe what had happened and wondered why he was so careless. We took him home so his mother could hurry him to the hospital. We returned to our skating rink where a nice bonfire was going. The next day he showed up at school with his head wrapped like an Egyptian mummy.

The moral of this story: Even with experience, we can make serious miscalculations. Absalom is a case in point. He schemed to take the kingdom away from his anointed father. God’s Word leaves us with a mental picture of him hanging from a tree by his long, thick hair. I guess he should have thought it through.

2 Samuel 18:9

And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.

I will leave out the rest of the gory details. We should never be left hanging like that or messing with things we don’t fully understand because it can blow up in our faces.

Give it some thought.

Gary