FARMING – – – GAMBLING – – – INSURANCE

There’s an old saying, “What’s the difference between farming and gambling?”

Answer:  “In gambling you can quit.”

It’s better to be born a farmer than decide to become one.

 

One of the best definitions of gambling, sponsored by the government, is this:

“The lottery is a moron tax.”

 

And now for the two foundational principles of insurance:

01—Insurance is based on fear.  What if . . . ?

02—Insurance is worse than gambling.  You win only if you have tragedy or loss.

One of the best typographical mistakes I ever made was only off by one letter, and it made the sentence more accurate.  Now I share it on purpose.

I meant to type, “I’ll insure this.”

What I did type, “I’ll unsure this.”

LIFE’S IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS

# 1     Life—impossible situation

# 2     As a Christian, I do not subscribe to Murphy’s Law, but someone keeps sending me a gift subscription.

# 3     “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

# 4     It’s impossible for a rich man to hear # 3  without protesting.

# 5     “It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance.”

# 6     The list is obviously and intentionally incomplete.

 

The rest of # 3  goes like this:

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

(Quotes are direct, from His Book)

? ? ? WELFARE ? ? ?

When you are drowning, you need somebody (anybody, doesn’t matter who it is) to throw you a life-preserver with a rope attached, to pull you to safety.  You immediately have no use for the life-preserver after that.

When you are helpless after a disaster or tragedy, you need some people (friends, neighbors, churches) to provide a life raft with temporary provisions to keep you afloat for awhile until you can get back on your feet.  It’s not permanent, unless you have no feet.

When you choose a lifestyle of helplessness, you don’t need a furnished yacht, permanently provided by the government, funded by a dwindling number of taxpayers (aka slaves) who are willing to work.

 

The United States Constitution says “provide common defense” and “promote general welfare.”  It does not say provide welfare.

WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?

Radio Shack had a commercial with the theme, “You’ve got questions—We’ve got answers.”  I guess it worked, because I remember it.

Here’s my variation, “You’ve got questions—I’ve got questions.”  I don’t know if it will work, but I remember it.

Here goes—Questions, Questions:

Can anyone get saved wrong?

Can you go to heaven the wrong way?

Can anyone go to hell who shouldn’t?

Can we speculate beyond our limits?

 

You say, “If God’s in charge, then He should . . . ”

Are you really saying, “If I was in charge, then . . .”

“If I was in charge, then I would do it right.”

Then what about all the people who wouldn’t like the way you do it?

Well, maybe that is close to seeing some of God’s job.  Maybe God’s job is not to please everyone (but you or me, of course).

So, Who’s In Charge Here?  God, or You, and seven billion other people with different ideas—with no power to influence the way the world runs.

 

“When all is said and done, you have to stop saying and start doing.”

So, Someone has to stop talking about God, and BE God.

Interesting, God describes himself—I AM—not I was, I could, I should, I would.

Those are words people use to speculate about their Maker—If God is God, He could, He should—If I was God, I would.

If puppets are given life, and free will, by an act of the puppeteer, so they are no longer puppets, their relationship is no longer puppet and puppeteer.  It is a much higher level—it is a gift—but it does not include trading places.

God gave that gift to people, but He stopped short of us being God—as Satan tried and found out the hard way—as Eve was talked into trying and finding out the hard way—as she talked Adam into trying and finding out the hard way—as you and I still try to be God and find out the hard way that we’re not.

Maybe—let’s start over on His terms.

What are His terms?  Where are His terms?  Can we know His terms?

More questions, questions, questions?  How about some answers?

God gave all the answers we need, all the answers we can handle, all the answers for life and a right relationship with Him—in the Bible.

It’s that simple.  If you accept it, open The Book, and you will find more than you need.  If you don’t accept it, you can never say that no one told you, and it will be very hard finding out the hard way that God IS God—always has been, always will be.

One last thought—God loves you.  Jesus died for you.  Jesus invites you to open the door, so He can come in and satisfy the thirst of your soul.

Right where you need Him the most, you decide “Who’s In Charge Here?”

AQUATIC BOMB – – – SODOMIC BOMB – – – ATOMIC BOMB – – – HUSSEIN O BOMB (A) – – – ? ? ?

—“I believe it”ll all come out in the wash.”   “Yes, it did in Noah’s day.”

—“God fired the last shot in the culture wars of Sodom and Gomorrah.”

—It took the devastation of “the bomb” (two of them) to stop the Japanese.  Why?  Because they were driven to suicide by religion—worshiping the emperor.

—Abortion, Homosexuality, Socialism, and Lies are the ingredients of the O-BOMB, driven by the biggest organized religious fanaticism in history—Islam.  They will stop at nothing, including suicide, and no weapon ever formed** will they refuse to use.

—? ? ? Is there more?  Is there another option?  Do the bad guys have mass destruction sewed up this time?

The Good Guy won in Noah’s day—God wiped out all the bad guys with the flood.  The Good Guy won in Sodom—God incinerated all the bad guys with the original big bomb. The good guys won in WWII—Little Boy and Fat Man eliminated thousands of the driven Japanese and their will.

NOW—Some of us have the information.  No one has the excuse to not know.  Outside enemies have more than enough weapons to send us back 200 years overnight.  Inside enemies can flip a switch (or a pen) and control everything (plus enough ammunition in stock to kill every American three times).

Or can they?

“God is our refuge and strength—a very present help in trouble.”     —–His Book

**”No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”     —–His Book

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me.”     —–His Book

God may turn things around because we pray and repent.  OR—We may be about to go through hell on earth.  But as I said yesterday in different words:  Better to go through hell on earth than go to hell.

PERSONAL

“We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

This is on my brother’s tombstone.  He was a total invalid for nearly four decades, after polio with very high fever for a week when he was six months old.

My parents took care of him in our home all those years.  (no institution could take him, even if that were a consideration)  Someone always stayed home to be with him.

This has a major impact on my life, even to this day.  But the above Bible verse affects me the most.

Several months ago at church in the park, I saw a new understanding of this verse.  I had always focused on the “much tribulation,” because of what my folks had to go through.  Then I realized what the verse is really all about—

“We must enter the kingdom of heaven.”  That’s it.  That is what matters, for all of us.

Heaven is where we belong.  Here on earth we’re just passing through.  We will have trouble here.  This world is rough because we don’t belong here permanently.

“This world is not my home;

.     I’m just a passin’ through.

My treasures are laid up

.     Somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels beckon me

.     From heaven’s open door;

And I won’t feel at home

.     In this world anymore.”

HIGHS AND LOWS – – – WHYS AND WOES

I do not know the big “WHY” in your life.

I am not able to understand.

I do know that the why in your life is most important because it is yours, now.

Answers? . . . . . . later

God has already been to later.

God knows all, including our answers.

God knows all, including the best time for answers.

Sometimes our only option is choosing with God or without God.

And it’s even okay sometimes to be angry with God—we’re still “with Him.”

CHRISTIANITY VS ISLAM – – – TRUTH VS LIE

The Christian’s Bible says—

—If you follow the words of Jesus, you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

—If the Son of God sets you free, you will be free indeed.

 

The Muslim’s “bible” says—

—You can and should lie if it advances the cause of Islam.

—Suicide in the cause of Islam sets you “free.”

 

HOW WONDERFUL  vs  HOW SAD

“BACK ON MY KNEES AGAIN”

It’s not really a song, but it should be.

I was out several days with a severe catch in my back.  When I finally got better, I was actually thankful to get back on my knees again, praying.

While nothing in this world can keep us from praying, there is something about kneeling that just makes a difference.  It’s definitely nothing legalistic or following a formula.  Maybe it simply reduces the compulsion of multitasking.

HOUSEBROKEN – – – but not HEARTBROKEN

Housebroken—before people

Heartbroken—before God

 

Housebroken—I make a good impression on people, who think I’m a pretty good person.

Heartbroken—“God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

 

Housebroken—I do not curse, steal, cheat, lie [except for now].  I’m better than a lot of other people.

Heartbroken—“All our righteousness is like filthy rags.”

 

Housebroken—I am qualified for church membership (even leadership) in good standing.

Heartbroken—“Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

 

Housebroken—I have the best of both worlds:  I live very comfortably, will retire comfortably, and still give a lot money to church and charity.

Heartbroken—“Sell everything you have, give it all away, and follow Jesus.”

 

Oh, no, that would break my heart.  I couldn’t do that.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”     —–His Book