Free at what cost?

Who wouldn't want these things?  You can't buy them and you can't REALLY LIVE WITHOUT THEM.  Are they REALLY free?  Good question!  I don't think they really are.  There is a cost associated with them.  It takes a lot of work to hold a family together, or in reality any relationship for that matter.  All these things are indicative of a good life and that takes effort.  Its so easy to let the world get you down, to think negatively and spiral into unhappiness.  One easy (and at times, not so easy) way to avoid this is to think about what we do and more importantly, WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO!!  Living right (or perhaps more accurately, righteously) means living a life that eliminates sinful activity.  Living wrong (sinfully) leads to unhappiness.  The apostle Paul puts it this way...

World English Bible: Romans Chapter 6

[1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [2] May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? [3] Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; [6] knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. [7] For he who has died has been freed from sin. [8] But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; [9] knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him! [10] For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. [11] Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[12] Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. [13] Neither present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. [14] For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace. [15] What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! [16] Don’t you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? [17] But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered. [18] Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.

[19] I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. [20] For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. [21] What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. [22] But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christians are bound to Christ; to live as he would have us to live.  And that life is NOT FREE; it cost Jesus his LIFE.  To us it is free, but it still has the cost of our obedience.  Consider all the things that you get when you obey and the cost is really NO BIG DEAL.  The cost of disobedience is much higher as the lives of adulterers, drug addicts, liars, murderers, thieves and all sorts of sinful activities will testify to.  So, as cute as the picture may be, I really don't agree with it, because if fact nothing is free; somewhere, somehow, someone is doing something to make these things happen.  And I am GLAD THEY ARE!  GIVE ME MORE, PLEASE!!!!!!

Managing Anger by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/anger.htm

Learning this can avoid a lot of trouble in life... Gary

Good Morning!

This little fella looks happy!  Remember happiness?  Its being young and waking up on a warm spring day in the month of May... feeling great!!!  Perhaps its the day you bought your first car or house or maybe the day you became a parent?  Those things come and go, but this little passage from the New Testament says it all for me...

WEB: Philippians Chapter 4

[4] Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” [5] Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. [6] In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Many things have changed in my life, but God has not changed.  He is right where he has always been and the knowledge of that makes even the worst day something to remember.  If you can't say that right now, then perhaps its time to do something about the situation.  Take some time, reflect on where you are in relation to God.  Open the book, ask someone who says they are a Christian; do something about it.  You will be glad you did; maybe even as glad as the little guy in this picture!!!

Capital Punishment by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/cap_pun.htm


This one is a "must read"... Gary

Bacon

Yesterday I made Lima bean soup, but with bacon.  Today, I am paying for having that extra portion of beans, but it was worth it, because I really like it better with bacon than with ham.  So, when I saw this picture, I related to it in a big way!!!  But, I do know that this picture describes a fleeting truth and not absolute one.  Here is how I know...

WEB: Matthew Chapter 6

[19] “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

[22] “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. [23] But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

[24] “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. [25] Therefore, I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [26] See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

[27] “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? [28] Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, [29] yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

[31] “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. [33] But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. [34] Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient."

Food, shelter, family; essentials all.  We know this and yet do we know that there is something more?  If we have eyes, ears and the native intelligence of a smart bird, then we can appreciate love, kindness and gentleness.  Characteristics of humanity, which of course find their perfection in Divinity.  I say: Enjoy all the good things that God has given you and be happy.  Only remember that GOD has given them to you and thank HIM.  And, oh, yes, don't overdo it on bean soup!!!

Blest be the tie by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/blestbe.htm


Commentary on the Hymn... Gary

The grey side of JOY

Dreamy; that is how I would describe this picture... an almost too wonderful picture.  I could almost picture myself on the lake; almost!  Then I was reminded of a conversation I had the other day with my oldest granddaughter.  I had been thinking of buying my first motorcycle and she quickly talked me out of it.  "You will use it a couple of times and then it will just sit there" quickly stopped that train of thought because I knew she was right!!!  So, after a few seconds of looking at the picture, I knew it was just a motorcycle in disguise.  Pipe-dreams all!!!  Please take a moment and read this chapter from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes...

World English Bible: Ecclesiastes Chapter 11

[1] Cast your bread on the waters;

for you shall find it after many days.

[2] Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight;

for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth.

[3] If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth;

and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north,

in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

[4] He who observes the wind won’t sow;

and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.

[5] As you don’t know what is the way of the wind,

nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child;

even so you don’t know the work of God who does all.

[6] In the morning sow your seed,

and in the evening don’t withhold your hand;

for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that,

or whether they both will be equally good.

[7] Truly the light is sweet,

and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun.

[8] Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all;

but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many.

All that comes is vanity.

[9] Rejoice, young man, in your youth,

and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth,

and walk in the ways of your heart,

and in the sight of your eyes;

but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

[10] Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,

and put away evil from your flesh;

for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

If I were to give this chapter a title it would be: The grey side of JOY!!!  Grey because in even handedly looking at the most pleasant of things (like light or youth or the gentle blowing of the wind) one must consider the less than wonderful consequences of it in order to appreciate it by means of contrast.  So, in a book of the Bible that presents wisdom from a human perspective, the ultimate conclusion is vanity.  While Solomon had great wisdom, yet somehow he lacked true humility and it is only those who can view life in true submission to God who will see things as they genuinely are.  As for me, I will keep looking at sailboats and motorcycles, but realize they are nothing as compared to the joy of having a home in heaven.  And, there is no "GREY" in heaven at all!!!!!!