Will Rogers on “Can Government Fix our Problems?”

Will RogersAs usual, Will nails it with a quote from 1933! It’s not just that people look to government, but government entitlement programs draw people in. The government creates dependents who don’t need to do much of anything but draw their government check each month.

It seems that the bigger government grows, the more people expect. Unfortunately, failed programs and broken lives litter the landscape. Perhaps smaller government and more independent people are the better way.

The picture is from the 1935 Will Rogers movie The County Chairman. Will plays Jim Hackler, a local party-boss in a Wyoming county, who has to decide to do what’s right and lose the election, or what’s wrong and win.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

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When I am Afraid, I WIll Put My Trust in You – Psalm 56 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

I’ve been through some uneasy work situations where it seemed that people were against me and there was no recourse, no where to take my complaint. I felt alone, like the penguin in the picture.

My situation is pretty insignificant compared to Christian martyrs of the past, believers who suffered because of their faith in Christ. The New Testament, particularly the book of Acts gives several examples of persecution against Christians and how God gave them a fearlessness as they put their trust in Him.

The trial and crucifixion of Jesus is one of the most extreme examples of enemies proudly attacking a person because of their faith. On the cross, we see the most horrible picture of “what flesh can do” to a person. With complete trust in God and confidence in the Word, Jesus was not afraid, and because of that we have salvation through his sacrifice.

Dear Lord, Help me to not be afraid of circumstances, but to put my trust in you and your Word. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 56 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Wondrous Deeds & Thoughts – Psalm 40 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Is God a personal God, or is He only concerned with the big picture as an impersonal force? In Psalm 40 we see that God is very personal! His wondrous deeds and thoughts are multiplied toward us.

Simply pondering the physical world around us would lead us toward God. The wondrous complexity and beauty of the flowers in the picture speak of a creator. Scientists study diligently in the field of botany and continue to discover mysteries beyond comprehension. Pick any field of science and we quickly find there are wondrous features so complex that only a creator God can explain such things.

But there is more! God gives us a book, the Bible, that reveals who He is, and what He has done for us. We find out in the Gospels that Jesus became human, so that He understands us in all our physical and spiritual weaknesses. Where we fail and sin, Jesus provided a wondrous deed. He died on the cross and through his resurrection provides salvation for us, personally, and individually. His thoughts are directed toward us in every circumstance. For this I can only return humble praise and proclaim His wondrous deeds toward me.

Dear Lord, The complexities of this world are beyond comprehension, yet you have revealed your salvation to us through your son Jesus. By pondering your wondrous deeds in the physical world and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, grant me faith to receive your salvation. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 40 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Spurgeon on “Let Me Stir You Up In His Name” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

To examine one’s faith is a most difficult, but most necessary exercise, for both young and old, as Spurgeon points out in this quote. It is something that you must do on your own, in a quiet moment, like the penguin in the picture.

What state am I in? Do I have forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ? Am I a Christian? Am I growing in Christ? Am I struggling with sin? How can I know these things. Should I trust someone else’s opinion of my faith in God?

The only way to truly examine one’s faith is by God’s Word, the Bible. According to Ephesians 2:8-9 we are saved by grace, not by works. If you think good works such as helping the poor or going to Church are going to get you to heaven, ask God for grace and forgiveness of your sins.

Are you a Christian, but are lacking in assurance and growth as a believer. Look to and study the Scriptures, and seek fellowship with other believers for help. Lack of assurance does not necessarily mean lack of salvation. Be patient, assurance will come with growth.

Dear Lord, As I examine my faith, as I look into your Scriptures, work in my heart and life. Help my faith to grow so that I may come, at last, to your promised rest. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Spurgeon on “Light Without Darkness” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

This world is stained with sin. We can’t get away from it, no matter how hard we try, or how far we go. It manifests itself personally in our lives, and in nature.

In our personal lives and relationships, we see pride, envy, lust, hatefulness, and all sorts of sin that manifests itself in our lives each day. We might be able to overcome some sins through the sheer force of will, but sin itself is so deeply embedded in our being that it can never be overcome completely.

In nature we see imperfections and decay everywhere. Our own bodies wear out after a period of time, even though the average lifespan has increased in recent years. Natural phenomena such as tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and many other events indicate that this earth is unstable. Pain and suffering are all around us.

But Spurgeon (and the Bible) talk of beauty and perfection that doesn’t exist on this earth. In a place called heaven we will find it.

When Jesus came to this earth, he showed us that He could reverse the effects of sin in this world. Jesus healed many people reversing the effect of disease in their bodies. He controlled the weather by calming a storm, and he controlled evil spirits by casting them out of the people they tormented. He also preached the gospel, which by faith, can cleanse sin from our lives.

Dear Lord, Only with your grace can we reverse the effect of sin in our life. Only by faith can we prepare for heaven, where sin shall be no more, and we will see your “glory without cloud.” Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Spurgeon on Spurgeon on “Affliction, Grace and Strength” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

Affliction is a relative thing. For some believers it means giving up their lives under severe persecutions. For others, they may loose all their possessions or be thrown in jail. For me, it may be a more trivial affliction, such as a temporary financial problem, relationship difficulty, or health problem.

Whether the affliction is great or small, whether the faith is little or great, God grants “sufficient grace” to carry us through. The result is we find new strength to endure, and a growing faith.

One thing to realize is that this growing strength isn’t like lifting weights, it’s not the result of our own work. Our sin-stained efforts are only effective because of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It makes grace all the more precious and gives us more reason to praise God for his mercy.

I am always drawn to he cross of Christ as an example. Here was the most extreme affliction of physical suffering a human could be subjected to. In addition to the physical affliction, Christ bore my sins as well. If Jesus did that for me, then he understands my afflictions, and can bring me aid.

Dear Lord, When I am afflicted, help me to understand that you provide sufficient grace to help increase my strength. No matter the circumstance, there is always reason to praise you. Amen

I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

God’s Choosing – Psalm 78 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

As I look back across my life, I am continually amazed to see God’s hand in events large and small. God called me out of a life of sin and self-destruction. He has guided my path step-by-step, through dark times and blessings.

In Psalm 78 we understand that God chose David. Had this not happened, David would likely have tended sheep for the rest of his life. There would have been no record of his life because there was nothing remarkable about him. Instead God lifts an unknown and unremarkable young man from obscurity to become one of the major figures in Scripture.

The story of David’s choosing can be found in I Sam 16.  From this passage, God makes it clear that the choice of David was His choice alone, and not a choice based on human reasoning, luck or chance. God chose David, David didn’t choose God.

I think the same is true of my life. God chose me, I didn’t choose God. In fact, Had it been up to me, I never would have chosen God. Furthermore, had I made all the choices in my life, it would have been a mess.

Ask God daily for his guidance. Look back and acknowledge God’s day-by-day work in your life. Thank God for the many blessings he has brought your way. It is a great comfort to know God chooses my path and directs my life. If I had to trust in my own choices, I would find no peace, and God would receive no glory.

Dear Lord, Help me to trust in your choosing. Let me earnestly seek your guidance each day, that you might be glorified. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 78 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Will Rogers on “Government Loot”

Will RogersThose poor Democrats just couldn’t get their message out. They raided the National Treasury for enough “stimulus” loot to build a highway to the moon and back, and borrowed enough money for Amtrack rails and trains to Mars. Did the voters appreciate being showered with all those billions? Apparently not.

I think that the shovel-ready jobs must not have had enough shovels ready. Nobody got charged up about all the new fangled electric cars that cost so much to build. Nobody got any change from all the hope out there, not even a dime.

There are an unusually large number of Democrat lame ducks gathered at the Congressional pond these days. Their once-proud  feathers are ruffled and frayed.

I have one last question for them. Where’s did all that loot go?!

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

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Will Rogers on “Congress, Please Don’t Hurt Anybody!”

Will RogersIt’s impossible to add much to a Will Rogers quote like this one! Over the past couple of years, we have watched an overactive congress pass a boatload of some of the most controversial and unpopular legislation ever. Along with that, they have spent and borrowed more money than even a drunken sailor could imagine.

Now that another party controls the House, the press is squawking about legislation designed to undo what was done by the other party. Every day we hear about more legislation for cutting this, defunding that and investigating something else.

As if people weren’t concerned enough about Federal legislation, state legislatures are capturing national attention. To add to the drama, some legislators are even fleeing state capitals.

Protests, rallys, demonstrations, radio, TV, newspapers and the internet are loaded to the limit with legislative news! When will they take a break, and let us relax for a few precious moments?

Image Information: Once Will Rogers found out he could get places faster by flying, he was constantly in the air. If you read his Daily Telegram articles, you will find him hopscotching across the country on a regular basis. In this picture he is standing in front of an open seat airplane, and is holding a flying helmet. Will Rogers was a great promoter of commercial aviation and was also acquainted with many of the great aviators of the day including Lindberg, Mitchell and Post.

The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

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Will Rogers on “Crap Shooters at NYSE”

Will RogersIt was 10 degrees F (-12C) this morning and I had to do some work on my car. After a few minutes it was becoming more and more difficult to do even the simplest manipulation with my fingers. Not only that, it was painful.

Can you imagine how difficult it must be for crap shooters when it’s that cold. Will Rogers noticed that in February of 1934. Those poor crap shooters at the NYSE had to wait until they could warm up their hands and fingers before they could roll the dice and place their bets.

Image Information: This picture is from the entrance to Will Rogers’ Dog Iron Ranch in Oologah, OK. It is a working ranch and features Will Roger’ Oklahoma home and historical artifacts. It is maintained by the Will Rogers Memorial Museum which is just a few miles away in Claremore, OK.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Will Rogers

Will Rogers on Weather & Wall Street

Rogers is right on target as usual with this quote. How many times do we read in the papers that the experts are “surprised” by the latest economic news?

This quote comes from the Will Rogers Daily Quotes iPhone app. Each quote is coupled with an image of Will, and the image information is included after the quote.

The image is from Rogers’ movie Ropin’ Fool. Rogers is twirling his lasso as he talks to the young lady. If you look close you see the lasso is circling both of them.

The movie Ropin’ Fool was produced by Rogers to show is expertise with the lasso. It’s fun to watch. Some of his tricks have never been duplicated, and the movie uses slow motion to allow the viewer to catch the motion of the rope.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Wait for the Lord – Psalm 2 Minute Devotional

I love these little penguins because they symbolize patience in the extreme as they care for the eggs. They are also cute. It seemed to beautifully fit Psalm 27:14 as shown in the image.

This verse is from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB app. Each day of the year the app shows a different daily quote and matched image, plus you can browse the quotes collection.

Will Rogers says: “Congress Wants Everybody to go Broke!”

Will RogersThere’s a lot of “Oinking” going on in the halls of Congress. It takes a big hog waller to handle all the pork, so big in fact, that it’s impossible to manage all the hogs. They’re running here and there, squealing and oinking, as Congressmen and aids try to gather them up and ship them back to the home district. Some crooks have been caught stealing hogs by the trainload, but nobody knows how many trainloads are unaccounted for.

Many Congressmen are in the middle of the hog waller, covered in mud, yelling “More Pork! I demand more Pork!” Even the Vice President surfaced from under the mud saying “The first porkulus wasn’t enough! We need more pork to finish the job!”

A massive protest is forming called the “Wild Hog Party.” Folks are concerned that so many hogs have been taken in taxes, that in a few years there won’t be any hogs left at all on the farms. Protest signs are saying: “I gave my hog to the government, and all I got back was two lousy pieces of bacon!”

Someone asked the “Boss Hog” what was in upcoming hog-care legislation. She said: “We need to pass the bill before we can find out what’s in the bill.” “But what if we run out of hogs and go broke trying to pay for everything?” The Boss Hog said, “It’s no problem, we can always print more hogs! Oink, Oink!”

Image Information: The image is of Will Rogers, his wife Betty and their three children.

The image was taken directly from movie stills at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Will Rogers

Save Me From My Enemies – Psalm 18 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

A group of students from Taylor University were in Egypt for the spring semester, but their stay was cut short by the recent unrest. One of the young ladies is a friend of our family, and we followed the situation closely. We prayed for her safety as Americans were evacuated from Cairo, and the group was finally able to flee to Turkey.

The unrest in Egypt made it dangerous for foreigners and religious groups to stay. Innocent people had been killed at their place of worship. In an instant, you could become an enemy of an angry crowd because of your race or religion. You could be harmless and helpless, as the fawn in the picture, but still become the object of hatred and violence.

I’m sure that Psalm 18 becomes relevant to these students, with the possibility that violence could erupt around them at any moment. They were rescued from violent men and saved from their enemies.

The Psalmists response is praise. Exuberant praise! “O Lord; I will sing praises to your name.” I’m sure these students and their parents are praising God for their deliverance from possible harm.

Our deliverance might not be quite so dramatic, but should our praise be any less? If God can deliver us from small things, then He can deliver us from any thing. We can especially praise God each day for delivering us from our sins through Jesus.

Dear Lord, I praise you for my deliverance and protection. I praise you especially for your great salvation through Jesus Christ your son. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 18 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.