Christopher Reeves would have turned sixty-nine yesterday. This means we have a lot in common. If he were still alive, both of us would now be the same age. Also, we both played Superman. He played as an actor in a movie, while I was an actor too, but never made the movies. Using one of Mom’s bath towels and a safety pin to hold it up around my neck, I made believe I was flying. The other thing that we’d have in common is that life proved to us we that we were far from being super characters.

There was one super man on this planet and His name was Jesus. He was born of a virgin, proving He was from another world. He could heal the sick and raise the dead, proving He was truly the God-man He claimed to be.  The most miraculous thing was His going to Calvary. In the predetermined council and foreknowledge of God, He carried our sins and rose the third day, revealing God accepted His sacrifice.

Over seven centuries before the birth of Christ, this is what the prophet Isaiah had to say about Him:

Isaiah 53:1-12 

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. …

He was not an actor, but the real deal.

Give Him some thought.

Gary

Oliver Cromwell, who took the British throne away from Charles I and established the Commonwealth, said to a friend, “Do not trust to the cheering, for those persons would shout as much if you and I were going to be hanged.”

That would be true of those leading countries all over the world. The day is coming when God Himself will take the reins. Until that time, have pity on them and pray for them as the Bible commands.

1Timothy 2:2

Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

Study the forty kings of Israel if you think it’s bad in our present age. It is eye-opening.

If you spent as much time praying for them as criticizing them, you might sleep better and they might change.

Give it some thought.

Gary

I checked the obituary this morning and, sure enough, I wasn’t in there. When you get old, that becomes a habit, because more often than not, there is someone you know written up in there. No, you weren’t in there either, but by the looks of you it probably won’t be long.  The question is are you ready for that sure event?

Jesus made a statement that gives us the assurance of a better place when that event takes place:

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus didn’t leave us in the dark. He can do what no person or institution can do. Where are you placing your bet and what have you done with Him?

Give it some thought.

Gary

My brother-in-law just got back from a canoe adventure in Montana. I asked him about the wildlife out there because they have critters that can harm you. Even some that can eat you.  He said he was awakened one night from the rattle of a rattle snake outside the tent.

You won’t catch me hiking or canoeing in Montana. “Maine, the way life should be.”

The apostle Paul had a real problem with critters in his life:

2 Corinthians 6:4-5

But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,  in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;

Paul did that because he was called by God and loved the Church Christ died for. How much more should we endure our minor discomforts and dangers?

Give it some thought.

Gary

David was probably just a young teenager when he went up against Goliath. King Saul had said, “You are only a boy.” However, the hand of God was on David, for that loud mouth, arrogant Philistine would prove this young man was a tool in the hand of God.

God proves us by the seemingly insurmountable difficulties that life presents. The giants are there and sometimes they are so close you can smell their breath.  Go with what God has gifted you with and what He has placed in your hand.  Victory can be had to His honor and glory.

Ephesians 6:13

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

These are not chance encounters, but providential.

Give it some thought.

Gary

I’m reading a book on the history of the Allagash wilderness. A funny account of a logger traveling some distance to go to confession is related. On the man’s return, another woodsman asked him what his penance was. His reply was that he would have to continue working for contractor Cunliffe for another year.

It’s a humorous reply; however, we do find a true account of something similar in the Old Testament. The life of Jacob is an eye-opening study. Jacob means schemer, and that he was. God sent him to the woodshed to work for Uncle Laban for twenty-one years. This is what he had to say about the experience:

Genesis 31:42

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

The application is that God oversees the actions and events of our lives. He brings in individuals who can help shape us into what we ought to be. They are not all appreciated, but very necessary.

Give it some thought.

Gary

I had sprained my ankle doing something that wasn’t well-thought-through. This took place somewhere around eight-years-old and it put me on crutches for the first time. There were no instructions given with the crutches or advice from those who once needed their support.

My first effort in climbing the stairs went without a hitch. However, my descent was a totally different matter. From the top, I placed the wooden supports on the first step and thrust my body forward. I cleared that second step by a foot (no pun intended) and found myself airborne without a parachute.  Needless to say, the healing was much prolonged and added injuries that didn’t help the situation.

My application is – do you really know where the next step is going to place you? Wouldn’t it be nice if you were certain of your next step?

Proverbs 4:12

When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble.

If you need a crutch, give it some thought.

Gary