He has been dead now for a long time, but he still speaks.  This is the doctor who can encourage us with the proper diet.

He was great on texts, the doctor was. When he had a point to prove, he’d just go through the Bible and drive all the texts ahead of him like a flock of sheep; and then, if there was a text that seemed against him, why, he’d come out with his Greek and Hebrew and kind of chase it around a spell, just as you see a fellow chase a contrary bell-weather, and make him jump the fence after the rest. I tell you, there wasn’t no text in the Bible that could stand against the doctor when his blood was up.

   Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)

This is exactly what the Scriptures encourage us to do:

Romans 15:4 

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Of all the time-wasting endeavors, the study of the Scriptures will not fit into that category. Throughout eternity, you will be thankful for the investment in the pursuit of truth.

Give it some thought.

Gary

I’d rather eat raisins than go to the mall. Most men understand that sometimes you have to bite the bullet and just go. The alternative is not an option.

At the mall, old guys try to find someone to talk to so the pain and suffering can be relieved for a few minutes. Most of the time, you see these tortured souls congregating in a safe area where seats are available. Most of these men don’t even know one another, but they make believe they do since they have the same goal in common, i.e., to escape from reality.

The Apostle Peter had to face a fact like that when it came his turn to die:

John 21:18

“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.”

We can’t always have our own way. We must submit.

Think about it.

Gary

I spent kindergarten through high school in the same building. There were ten classrooms with five facing the river and five facing route 161. My time on the riverside didn’t offer any distractions, but route 161 had trucks going by regularly which totally took my mind off the subject being taught. One time, the state police had someone pulled over by the school, and our teacher used it for an object lesson to teach us not to become criminals.

Distractions in life never stopped with my formal education. They continue to the present time and are very annoying.

The Bible discusses distraction:

Luke 10:38-40 

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

If a legitimate distraction can happen to Martha, it can happen to us. Jesus told her she was temporarily focusing on the wrong thing. Pay attention to what God is teaching you.

Think about it.

Gary

When I was very young, I caught the virus of putting together model airplanes. I wasn’t very good at the endeavor and the results looked absolutely awful. Producing a quality model takes patience and time – two traits which were totally foreign to me.

I don’t know where those works of art in my youth went. I suspect my mother didn’t want the world to know what kind of kid she had produced or was just trying to protect my self-esteem. In any case, they disappeared from the world scene.

Now that I’ve climbed much of the ladder leading to maturity, I understand what God is doing when He undertakes a case like mine. He is willing to be patient and take the time necessary to put together something of value.

Romans 15:5

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,

The song says, “He’s still working on me to make me what I ought to be. “ Yea, give Him a chance; He might make me into a model.

Think about it.

Gary

I had a dream. No, I’m not getting weird on you; it was just a meaningless dream. However, I was in school and the assignment was due and, you guessed it, I hadn’t done it. So I hurried to my desk and quickly scribbled down some things and handed it in. The teacher said, “I saw you doing that at the last minute and it’s not acceptable.” I was so disappointed I decided to wake up. Now I’m lying there thinking, “What’s that all about?”

I do hope that something similar has happened to you because, if not, I’ll have to bring it up to my therapist. She’d have to dig deeply into my past to find the answer to that one.

Now, to the point of all of this verbiage: How much have we done correctly and how much is there left to do? The Scriptures address the need to work at our assignments.

Philippians 2:12

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Make sure you read that verse correctly. It doesn’t say work for your salvation, but it does say work out your salvation. We need to diligently work out what God has worked in.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Some believe if you’re right with God you’ll never get sick, or if you do get sick for some reason, God will heal you.  The strange thing is that the ones who believe this die at the same rate as everyone else.  Do you suppose they only die in car accidents?  No, they believe something that just doesn’t hold up in Scripture.

The Book of Job is the great example of misinformation. Job’s three friends believed if you were right with God no calamity would ever befall you. After thirty-seven chapters of debate, God appears and states how wrong they were. As a matter of fact, these three didn’t even know God. They knew there was a god but didn’t know Him personally.

Job 42:8

Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”

You fall on dangerous ground when you claim to know what God is doing, but you don’t have a clue.

James 3:1

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Gumption: That’s what Sampson had in the last minutes of his life. He brought the house down because he had it. He could have shown that characteristic in his youth, but it just wasn’t in the cards.

When I mention gumption, I am referring to the impetus that leads a person to communicate with the Creator of the universe.

Judges 16:28

Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!”

God hasn’t called you or me to do what Samson did, but He has called us to do something. That something cannot be accomplished without Biblically-based prayer.

Philippians 4:5-7

 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Have some gumption. Don’t wait until the final minutes of your life. It could bring the house down.

Think of it.

Gary