The Wit Of Will Rogers

Will RogersThere are few who have rivaled the wit and homespun wisdom of Will Rogers!

“Even if you are on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” —Will Rogers

“You can’t tell what a man is like or what he is thinking when you are looking at him. You must get around behind him and see what he has been looking at.” —Will Rogers

“People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.” —Will Rogers

“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.” —Will Rogers

“It doesn’t take much to see something is wrong, but it does take some eyesight to see what will put it right again.” —Will Rogers

“Income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf.” —Will Rogers

“There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.” —Will Rogers

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” —Will Rogers

“The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.” —Will Rogers

“There are three kinds of men: ones who learn by reading, few who learn by observation, and the rest of them who have to grab the electric fence and find out for themselves.” —Will Rogers

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” —Will Rogers

“If you’re riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.” —Will Rogers

“After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: when you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” —Will Rogers

Notes On Ezekiel (book review)

The Complete Works Of Oswald ChambersOswald Chambers’ insights into biblical texts, and his ability to transfer those principles to real-life applications, always astound me! I was reading through Ezekiel in my personal Bible reading time, and was happy to discover Chambers’ Notes On Ezekiel.

As with many of his books, this one is comprised of notes taken by shorthand by Mrs. Biddy Chambers as Oswald lectured at the Bible Training College (BTC). Reading each chapter of Ezekiel side-by-side with Chambers’ commentary and application is a real eye-opener.

The only complaint I have is that Biddy’s responsibility at the BTC kept her out of many of the lectures, so we are only blessed with Oswald’s insights on about half of the chapters in Ezekiel. But that being said, you can never go wrong reading Oswald Chambers!

Links & Quotes

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This is encouraging: Your Prayer Life Is Better That You Think.

“Prayer reminds us of who is in charge. You don’t take your requests to someone with less authority. You take them to someone who outranks you in the solutions department. The same is true in prayer. You don’t pray just to let God know what’s going on. He’s way ahead of you on that one. You pray to transfer ‘my will be done’ to ‘God’s will be done.’ And, since He’s in charge, He knows the best solution. Prayer transfers the burden to God and He lightens your load. Prayer pushes us through life’s slumps, propels us over the humps, and pulls us out of the dumps. Prayer is the oomph we need to get the answers we seek. So, pray…today!” —Max Lucado

Mark Merrill shares 8 creative ways to flirt with your spouse.

I think we can all benefit from this―6 ways to improve your memory.

[VIDEO] Ken Davis shared this hilarious video from John Branyan―

 

Fill-In-The-Blank Differently

God gives backHow would you fill in this blank: “The Lord gives, and the Lord ________  _________.”

I had some misconceptions about God when I was a kid. I didn’t want to pray, “God, You can use me however You see best” because I just knew He would send me to do something gross. Or we would sing a song like I Have Decided To Follow Jesus and one of the verses said, “Though none go with me still I will follow.” I didn’t really like that because I liked my friends and family; I liked my life just as it was.

Job was a righteous man, and some really bad things happened to him. He’s the one who said things like, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21), and, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).

But there was still another 40 chapters to go! In the very last chapter of his story we read this―

After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10)

In hindsight, I think Job might have said something different: “The Lord gives, and the Lord gives back!” But this insight would have come only after “Job had prayed.” Getting into God’s presence helps us capture the heart of God.

  • A grieving mother learned this when God gave her a son and gave back her resurrected son to her (2 Kings 4:8-37).
  • And then again when God gave her their family land and gave back the lost income (2 Kings 8:1-6).
  • The apostles learned this when Jesus gave them His presence and gave back a position of authority (Matthew 19:27-28).
  • We can also know that Jesus will give us a hundred times what we’ve given up for Him, and give us eternal life too (Matthew 19:29).

God never takes anything from us unless He intends to give back something even greater, something eternal, something unbreakable, something un-losable!

You will only begin to see this better when you get in His presence. “The object of secret prayer is to unite us to God that we may know His abiding presence with us” (Andrew Murray). It’s time to fill-in-the-blank differently! 

I’ll be continuing our series on The Prayers Of Elisha this coming Sunday, and I would love to have you join me!

Links & Quotes

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Finally! President Obama met with Naghmeh Abedini about her imprisoned husband. Pastor Saaed has been held illegally in Iran for far too long!

Dave Barringer has some good advice for married couples in 8 Things To Evict From Your Mind.

“A quiet time with God is very similar to a special date. Denalyn and I like to go to the same restaurants over and over again. When we’re there we remember special moments we’ve shared before. Our hearts open up. We talk to each other. We listen, we laugh, and sometimes we cry. I love those times! So does God. A quiet time with God is very similar to a special date. Here are some tools to help you keep your date with Him special. Select a slot in your schedule and claim it for God. Take as much time as you need. Your time with God should last long enough for you to say what you want and for God to say what he wants. Bring an open Bible—God’s Word, His love letter to you. Bring a listening heart and listen to the Lover of your soul. Make sure your date with God is on the calendar, and do everything in your power to keep it special!” —Max Lucado

“Are you seeking day by day to live above worldliness, the love of the things of the world, and the ensnaring greed which they nourish? Remember, it is for this that you have been enriched with the treasures of God.” —Charles Spurgeon

Some great information: Understand The Same-Sex Marriage Issue.

“All paths lead to God, but only one path will present you before God without fault and with great joy. Pick a path, any path—it will take you to God. Trust me: you will stand before Him one day. You will meet your Maker. You will see the face of Christ. There are many ways up the mountain, but only one will result in life instead of destruction.” —Kevin DeYoung

Links & Quotes

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The Overview Bible Project has a great weekly email study to help you to learn more about each book of the Bible. Check this one out on the book of Jeremiah, and then subscribe.

This post really got me thinking: Islam & The First Amendment.

John Stonestreet says, “While…the days of throwing Christians to wild beasts in the arena may be behind us, the persecution of Christians around the world isn’t. In fact, the number of our brothers and sisters subjected to imprisonment, torture, and death for their faith in just the last twelve months dwarfs the number who suffered during the entire tenure of Nero” (emphasis mine). Read more about The War On Christians.

For anyone who works with youth, check out Tim Elmore’s post 6 Habits Of Lasting Leaders.

Did you know that that some 44,000 people have survived attempts to kill them through abortion?! Check out Eric Metaxas’ thoughts in Surviving Roe v. Wade.

Links & Quotes

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“I have no business on the bed of sloth; I have no right to be wandering abroad after private business; I can claim no time which I may set apart for my own follies, or to my own aggrandizement. My true position as a Christian is to be always ministering to God, always standing before His altar. Do I hear you ask how this can be, with your farms and with your merchandise? Know you not, brethren, that whether you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, you may do it all to the glory of God?” —Charles Spurgeon

“It ill becomes a man of God to be ungrateful, or to sponge upon those that are generous.” ―Matthew Henry

3 Lessons From Obadiah

Obadiah

Photo (c) Laura Kranz at The Overview Bible Project (click on the photo for more info)

The prophet Obadiah wrote just 21 verses around 840 B.C. I know that the last 12 books of the Old Testament are referred to as “minor prophets” (not because of quality or validity, but because of length), but this prophet packs a major punch. Here are three lessons I learned from Obadiah―

[1] Pride is a killer.

The pride of your heart has deceived you (v. 3). Pride makes me believe the best about myself and the worst about everyone else; it’s unbalanced scales. Pride allows me to excuse my sins, even calling them “virtues,” while at the same time hypocritically judging the “sins” of others.

[2] It is God’s place to judge, not mine.

You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune (v. 12). My place is to love God and love others—to help and not condemn—to extend mercy, not judgment. Even if my enemy stumbles I shouldn’t rejoice or gloat (Proverbs 24:17-18), how much less when it’s my brother who has stumbled!

[3] Live as if Judgment Day were tomorrow.

The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head (v. 15). Boom! The measure I use will be the measure I receive. The One Who neither sleeps nor slumbers sees all I do, and He will judge perfectly.

Don’t miss the major messages in the “minor” prophets!

Links & Quotes

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“When we look at the love of Christ, we make a wonderful discovery. Love is more a decision than an emotion! Christ-like love applauds good behavior. At the same time Christ-like love refuses to endorse misbehavior. Jesus loved His apostles, but He wasn’t silent when they were faithless. Jesus loved the people in the temple, but He didn’t sit still when they were hypocritical.” —Max Lucado

“One of the great enemies of hope is forgetting God’s promises.” —John Piper

“If you perform deeds of charity with the idea of getting to heaven by them, it is yourself that you are feeding and clothing; all your virtue is not virtue, it is rank selfishness, and Christ will never accept it; you will never hear Him say, ‘Thank you’ for it. You served yourself, and no reward is due. You must first come to the Lord Jesus Christ, and look to Him to save you; you will forever renounce all idea of doing anything to save yourself, and being saved, you will be able to give to the poor without selfishness mixing with your motive.” —Charles Spurgeon

Dave Barringer has a good word for pastors: 8 reasons why being vulnerable is better.

William Law On Prayer

William LawSome quotes from William Law on prayer …

“There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him.” —William Law

“He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life.” —William Law

“The greatest saint in the world is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives alms, or is more eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice. It is he who is most thankful to God.” —William Law