Category Archives: Before your head hits the pillow

Before your head hits the pillow

Aborted Prayers

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Aborted Prayers

The other day I read an interesting online article at tscpulpitseries.org by David Wilkerson.  It caught my eye because I remembered a book he wrote that was later made into a movie, The Cross and the Switchblade.  His topic was interesting so I thought I would share some of his points with you.

He said, “The devil’s final strategy in deceiving believers is to make them doubt the faithfulness of God in answering prayer. Satan would have us believe God has shut His ears to our cry and left us to work things out for ourselves.”  He continued, “It’s time we Christians took an honest look at the reasons why our prayers are aborted.  We can be guilty of charging God with neglect, when all along our own behavior is responsible.”

Wilkerson gave six, of many reasons, that our prayers are not answered.

  • Our prayers are aborted when they are not according to God’s will.  He says, “We are not at liberty to pray at random for whatever our selfish minds conceive.”  I John 5:14 says, “If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us.”  We need to constantly look to God when we pray.  We must seek His face first and allow His will to be done in our lives.
  • Our prayers can be aborted when they are designed to fulfill and inner lust, dreams, or illusions. James 4:3 says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”  Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
  • Our prayers can be denied when we show no diligence to assist God in the answer. Wilkerson says, “We expect our prayers to get God to working for us, while we sit idly by, thinking to ourselves, ‘He has all the power; I have none, so I will simply stand still and let Him do the work.’”  God told Joshua in Joshua 7:10-13 – “Stand up! What are you doing on your face?”  God commanded Joshua to consecrate the people for their sins.  We must not try to “make” things happen, but God may ask us to act in order to fulfill His will.  We can’t just sit back and expect Him to do everything while we are laying on our backs.
  • Our prayers can be aborted by a secret grudge lodged in the heart against another. He continues by saying, “Christ will not deal with anyone with a wrathful and unforgiving spirit.  We are commanded to ‘lay aside all malice, envy, and evil speaking, and as newborn babes, desire the sincere mild of the Word.’” I Peter 2:1-2
  • Our prayers can be aborted by not expecting much to come of them. Matthew17:20 says, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  We must have faith that God can do what we are asking when we pray.  We serve an amazingly powerful God.  NOTHING is too big or too small for Him!
  • Our prayers may be aborted when we ourselves attempt to prescribe how God should answer. Wilkerson says, “The only person we lay down terms to is the one we don’t trust. Those we trust we leave to themselves to do what is right.  It all boils down to a lack of trust. The burdened soul, after he has unburdened his heart in prayer to the Lord, resigns himself to the faithfulness, goodness, and wisdom of God.  The true believer will leave the shaping of the answer to God’s mercy.  Whatever way God chooses to answer, the believer will welcome.”

Now, all that being said, it is God who determines how to deal with the request placed in prayer.  God may choose to fulfill the request of a person who is selfish.  He may determine to grant the request of the person who has little faith, because the full power in prayer is not in the one who prays but in the One to whom we pray.

But as we go into prayer it is important that we go to God with righteous motives, we must make sure that we have forgiven as Christ as forgiven us, we must have faith that God is capable to fulfill our petition, and we must be willing to participate in the fulfillment of our request if that is the way God is leading us.

Prayer is a powerful Christian asset.  Let’s make sure that we come before our Lord humbly and full of faith!

Before your head hits the pillow

Intentional Contentment

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Intentional Contentment

I decided last night that I was going to write about intentional contentment. Tonight I am listening to reports of the terrorist attacks in Paris. At this point it seems as if at least 158 people are reported dead. Attacks have likely occurred at six different locations. So should I write about contentment? How can people who have experienced this terror find contentment? Can one REALLY be content in the midst of this terror?

First I think it is important for us to all acknowledge that God is still in control. Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Isaiah 41:10 gives us these comforting words, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

And Proverbs 16:4 tells us, “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”

I wrote last night that sin begins in the mind and tonight I write that contentment also begins in the mind. We must BELIEVE that God is in control. We must believe that even evil acts can be turned to good at the hand of our God.

Nahum 1:7 encourages us with these words, “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” And 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 further comforts with these words, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Our contentment rests in our trust in the sovereignty of God. Or contentment is dependent on our willingness to have faith in God, to know that He is not a God who is uninvolved in the things of this world. We must know and believe the promise of Luke 12:7, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

This is not exactly what I planned to write about contentment this evening but this is what I have been led to write. Even in this midst of the unfolding of these horrid events, our God is in control. So tonight my contentment and my peace comes from the blessed words of Psalm 62:5, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” I choose to be content. My contentment is intentional because my God is in control!

Before your head hits the pillow

The First Sin

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

The First Sin

Today’s world doesn’t really like to talk about sin. And unfortunately some churches and Christians don’t like to talk about sin either. Some people believe that because we have been redeemed that a discussion about sin is too negative. I believe that unless we discuss sin in a real way and understand that even if we are Christians we must fight against sin, we make it too easy to fall into sin.

So what about that first sin? For years, I believed that the first sin happened at the moment that Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree forbidden by God. But the more I think about this, the more I think that was not the first sin. The first sin didn’t happen when Adam and Eve at of that fruit, or even when they picked it off the tree. The first sin happened in the MIND of Adam and Eve when they chose to deny the truth that God had given them forbidding them to eat of the fruit.

Sin begins in our minds. Sins are not typically impulsive. When a child decides to pick up a candy bar and steal it in the checkout counter, they first thought about how good that candy bar would taste. They thought and then they acted.

When someone becomes involved in pornography it doesn’t just happen. The person begins to think lustfully FIRST and then starts looking at things they shouldn’t be seeing. When a husband or wife gets involved in an adulterous relationship, they first begin to think about what it would be like to be with this other person.

Mark 7:21-22 says, “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” All of these sins start in the thoughts of men, women, and even children.

James 1:14-15 tells us, “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.”

And James 4:1, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”

So, sin begins in our minds and in our desires. This is the reason that it is so important to guard what we see, to guard what we hear, to be careful with whom we associate, and to steer clear of those things that could bring our thoughts to a place that breed evil desires, and where evil desires breed evil deeds.

David Peach in 5 Ways to Avoid Sinful Habits and Thoughts (whatchiristianswanttoknow.com) gives us these ideas about guarding our thoughts:

First, fill your mind with God’s Word. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Reading the Bible will fill our lives with these virtuous things!

Second, keep your mind clean. Psalm 101:3 “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”

Third, establish accountability with someone. Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Fourth, view others with godly eyes. I Timothy 5:1-2 “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” We must think of others as brothers and sisters. If we do this our minds won’t stray to gossip and slander.

And fifth, avoid temptation. Romans 13:14 “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

Sin does begin in our minds, but we can resist sin. We have to believe in the assurance of I John 4:4 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Oh how I love the promises of God!!

Before your head hits the pillow

Five Solas

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Five Solas

I have posted this in the past but some interesting recent theological discussions have stirred me to post it again tonight.

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t contemplate long and hard before deciding to post this tonight. I don’t particularly like confrontation. That being said, I won’t run from it either. For those of you who have read my nightly posts for quite some time it should be evident that I hold to a reformed theology. I believe that we are saved by grace alone and that NOTHING we can do will contribute to our salvation, it is a gift from our Lord.

The Five Solas were at the heart of the 16th century reformation. These five solas are the bedrock of my personal faith. They precisely describe what I believe about salvation, the Holy Scriptures, and our God.

Solas is the Latin phrase for solo. When you sing a solo, you sing alone. When you fly solo, you fly alone. These five solas describe five solo truths of reformed Christianity.

The first is Sola Scriptura or Scripture alone. The Bible should be our sole authority on which we interpret everything else in our lives. How we behave with others, our political leanings, and the raising of our children all needs to be pressed against the scriptures to obtain truth. All 66 books of the Bible are the inspired Word of God through the work of the Holy Spirit given to those persons selected by God Himself.

2 Peter 3:16-17 tells us – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The second is Sola Fide or faith alone. We are saved by faith alone through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are not saved by our own good works but good works are demanded of those who are saved.

The thirds is Sola gratia or grace alone. We are saved ONLY by God’s grace. No matter how “good” a person is if they do not understand that the faith instilled in them is from God and the grace rendered to them is from God they will not be saved.

Ephesians 2:8 is a great verse to demonstrate saving faith by God’s grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is a gift from God, not a result of works, so that no one my boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Yes we are created for good works, but we are NOT saved by them.

Solus Christus or Christ alone. We can ONLY be saved by believing in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our sins. Nothing else can save us. There is no other. Paul told the jailer this in Acts 16:31 when he asked how he could be saved, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

And the last is Soli Deo Gloria or to the glory of God alone. We are here on earth to glorify God, not to heap praise and glory on ourselves, the newest American Idol, or the latest and greatest tele-evangelist. Our praise is to be reserved for God only. Our main mission in life should be to bring glory to God. We bring Him great glory by serving Him and serving our fellow mankind.

I Corinthians 10:31 states, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it to the Glory of God.” The Westminster Catechism says that the chief purpose of our lives is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

I am thankful for these five solas. I am thankful that my salvation does not rest on me being good enough for if it did, I would certainly be doomed. I am thankful that God has given us faith and the free gift of grace. I am thankful that He is a loving God who gives us the path to salvation in the Scriptures and I rejoice in the opportunity to glorify God and God alone. I hope you are thankful as well!

Before your head hits the pillow

In His Image

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

In His Image

During the course of our married life, our family has had three special dogs. Muffy was a Lhasa Apso. She was sweet and gentle but not that terribly smart. Then we had Phoebe who was happy and spirited. She was a smart dog who quickly sensed our moods and loved to take walks. Now we have Molly, who we believe is the smartest dog that ever lived. She seems to understand what we say and even what we are thinking. She loves to go fishing and although she delights at the thought of taking a walk, she would never sacrifice fishing to do so. She understands what it means when the bobber goes under and jumps with anticipation at the potential of reeling in a fish.

We also have seven grandchildren. Our youngest two are three years old. We can tell either of them to go get us their pajamas and they know what do to. If we were to ask them to go get the drum from the toy room, they would proudly walk downstairs and deliver the drum. They REALLY understand words. They did not have to be conditioned to do so, they just learned and understood what the words meant.

Although you can train a dog to fetch your slippers or do a trick, you can never tell them to go get something they had never before seen. If our granddaughters had a drum at home, they would be able to discern what a drum is at our house. So what is the difference between those special pets and our granddaughters?

Our granddaughters were created in the image of God. When God created man He created them differently than plant life, than the birds of the air or the fish of the sea. He created them differently than the mammals of the earth. He created them in His very own image. God created man from the dust of the earth and He Himself breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. –Genesis 2:7.

God created you and He created me to bear His own image. We are not exact replicas but we do resemble Him in certain ways. He created us to feel, to think, to speak, and to understand. He gave us creativity. He created man with the ability to make things, to paint paintings, to compose music, and to invent things. God was creative and so is man. God created man as a social being. We were created to have fellowship with others and with God.

When God created man, Adam and Eve were morally perfect. He created man holy and without sin. But when Adam and Eve sinned that image of God within us was distorted. It was no longer perfect as God had created it. Man became jealous and envious, as happened with Cain and Abel. Man became arrogant as we saw during the building of the tower of Babel. Man became angry and hostile.

But thank God, that is not where this story ends. When we accept Christ as our Savior Paul says in Colossians 3:10 that in the place of our wickedness “…you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you.” And Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:24, “You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness – righteous, holy, and true.”

So why is this so important? We have so many Christians who struggle with their own self-worth. They delve into self-help books and some even listen to Dr. Phil or Oprah to find their worth. We must understand that our worth is innate. That means our worth inborn, it is natural. We are worthy because we are created in the image of the creator of the universe.

If you are struggling to find your self-worth, look no further than to God Himself. He created you in His image. He loves you. He cares about you. He hears your cries and wishes to speak with you about your troubles. And after you come to know Christ as your Savior, that image of God begins its renewal. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden and their daily walks with God ceased. They no longer had unfettered access to their heavenly Father.

But when Jesus died on the cross He bridged that gap and we can now again enter directly into the presence of God. We can sit and talk to Him. We can listen to Him and He will respond. Our relationship with God gets stronger and stronger the closer we walk with Him. The more time we spend in His Word, the more time we spend talking and listening to Him, and the more time we spend learning about His desire for our life the more we become like Him. We are being restored, we are being sanctified.

So if you are doubting your worth, look no further than God. God sees your worth and so should you! God created you and He has specific plans for you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” These are God’s promises. You are a redeemed child of the King. People may hurt you and things may be tough, but this can never be taken away. YOU are HIS and HE is YOURS! In this you can find your value and your worth! And one day, in the not too distant future, you will wear a crown.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12. What a day that will be!!!

Before your head hits the pillow

I’m just a trucker.

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

I’m just a trucker.

Have you ever been asked to do something either in church or in the community that you thought was just too much for you? You may have said, “I’m just a trucker, just a housewife, just a mechanic, just a carpenter, or just a daycare worker!” You could decide to make an excuse and tell them that you are just too busy or that you don’t believe you are up for the task.

Some 2000 years ago there was a guy who was just a fisherman. His name was Peter. Jesus asked him and his brother to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. Peter could have made excuses. He could have said that he was not equipped. He could have said, “I am just a fisherman!” But that is not what Peter did. Peter quickly decided to follow Jesus. And Peter followed with reckless abandonment! I guess we could say that Peter was ALL IN for Jesus!

In Matthew 14, we read that it was Peter who trusted Jesus enough to get out of the boat and walk on water. Now that faith was limited and He soon began to sink, but Jesus was right there to pick Him up.

It was Peter who on the Mountain of Transfiguration when Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus suggested that he could build three shelters. One for Jesus, one for Elijah, and one for Moses. Peter, James and John saw Jesus transfigured. They saw His face shine and His garments become dazzling white. Then out of nowhere appeared Elijah and Moses. The disciples were treated to seeing men from the past alive. This was a testimony to the fact of the afterlife. Jesus didn’t even respond to Peter’s zeal, his desire to build lasting shelters. I think He might have thought, “Oh Peter!”

It was Peter in Matthew 16:15 stated of Christ, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And it was to Peter that Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, by my Father who is in heaven.”

It was Peter who lopped off the ear of the guard who was involved in arresting Jesus and it was Jesus who rebuked him and touched the man’s ear and healed him.

And it was Peter who three times denied knowing Jesus as Jesus was on trial for His very life. I can only imagine what Peter must have felt after that third denial when his eyes and they eyes of Jesus met. Luke 22: 61 says, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”

Peter was impulsive and at times reckless but He was chosen and He was loved. Peter was not anymore physically equipped to serve Jesus than you or I. He was chosen to serve Jesus and Jesus equipped him for that service.

Peter, even after seeing the many miracles of Christ and professing that he would never deny Christ, did so three times. Peter was far from perfect, but he was chosen to serve. Peter got out of the boat and walked on water. He faltered, just as we might, but Jesus was there to rescue him, just as He is there to provide and care for us.

So when we are called to take part in the kingdom of God will we be like Peter, who in all his imperfections, readily said yes? Or will we make excuses? Will we have enough faith to walk on water, to do those things that seem humanly impossible, knowing that Jesus will be there to help us, or will we just stay in the boat?

Jesus knows that we are imperfect. He knows that we will fall, even as He knew that Peter would deny Him. But Jesus still chose him. Jesus still wanted Peter as one of His disciples and He still wants us as one of His followers. So the next time you are called to serve, say yes. The next time you are asked to lead, don’t think of your weakness, think of God’s strength. You are NOT just a trucker…You are a child of the KING!

Before your head hits the pillow

Are you using them or burying them?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Are you using them or burying them?

What a blessing it is to know that our earthly death is not final! But what is our response to the amazing love that Christ demonstrated through His ultimate sacrifice? Our response MUST be action. Our response must be – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Colossians 3:23-24.

Christ told us what is expected of us in Matthew 25:14-30. This parable about the talents lets us know what we must be doing. A master was about to leave on a journey. Before He left, he gave each of three servants talents. One was given five talents, one was given two and yet another was given one. What exactly a “talent” was in the New Testament is debatable; however it was a large sum of money. Some scholars value one talent at $1,000-$30,000 in our American dollars; others equate five talents to the equivalent of what an ordinary person might make in 20 years of wages. But there is no dispute over the fact that a New Testament talent was a large sum of money.

The person who was given five talents doubled his master’s resources as did the person who was given two talents. But the person who was given one talent became fearful and buried his so as not to lose it.

But this parable is not really about money, this parable is about what our master has given us. The master in the parable entrusted his servants with his possessions, just as our Lord entrusts us with His possessions. Nothing that we have here on earth is ours; rather everything that we have belongs to the Giver, to our Lord.

The Lord entrusts his possessions to us in according to the ability He has given us, just as the master in the parable did. Matthew 25:15 states that each was given according to his own ability. God expects us to use the gifts and talents He has given us. He expects us to use them with boldness. He expects us to discover HOW to use them and then go about doing so.

Some time ago a woman in our church and I were talking about the wonderful service we had and how thankful we were for our pastor. Then she proceeded to tell me that she sat right down and wrote the pastor a note to thank him for his leadership. That woman was using the gifts and talents she has been given. She was using her gift of encouragement to bless our pastor. And I am sure that she will be rewarded for doing so.

Sometimes I think that we look at people who have BIG talents. People who have beautiful singing voices, people who can speak eloquently, people who have an amazing gift to write, people who know how to lead thousands and then think, what in the world do I have? Well, let me assure you, you do have gifts and talents! You may have the gift of encouragement, you may be a wonderful hostess, you may be fantastic with kids, or you may be a wiz on the computer. Whatever gift or talent the Lord has given you, you MUST use it!

What kept the third servant from trying to multiply the talent he had been given? What stopped him was fear! I believe that fear is the devils best tool. Fear can paralyze us and keep us from using the gifts and talents that God has given us. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or fear of ridicule may keep us from serving faithfully. Fear and Faith cannot co-exist. Fear not only keeps you from doing what needs to be done, you not only fail to increase, but you actually lose what you had in the first place, just as the third servant did.

Mark Dunagan of the Beaverton Church of Christ gives five practical steps to excavate long buried talents: 1) Define your passions; what do you love to do? Ask yourself what are the dreams and goals you had years ago that you may have buried? 2) Don’t get discouraged. Start out small. Talents need to be developed and trained. Talents often take practice. No excellent pianist becomes excellent without practice. 3) Seek advice from others to help you discover and fine tune your talents. 4) Don’t focus on immediate results. Start immediately but don’t think that everything will happen overnight. 5) You cannot use your gift merely for your own personal benefit; find a way to use it to benefit others.

So are you using or burying your talents? I think that we must all acknowledge that we can always do better, we can always serve better. The important thing is to not bury what it is that God has given us to multiply. And remember the words of Ecclesiastes 9:10 – Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

This world, the world we live in, is the world of service, the place to use the talents we have been given. When we die, it will be too late to use them, so use them wisely and use them boldly in His service today!

Before your head hits the pillow

What is a Christian Conservative?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

What is a Christian Conservative?

From time to time someone finds their way to this site and proceeds to tell me that a conservative cannot be a Christian. Some of them even go so far as to say Jesus was a socialist. They think a Christian cannot be a conservative or that a conservative cannot be a Christian.

So I thought tonight I would tell you all what it means to me to be a Christian Conservative. First I am a Christian conservative, not a conservative Christian. The Christian part of me is what drives everything in my life. That is why I listed Christian first in the name of this Facebook page.

So what does it mean to be a Christian conservative? First, as a Christian, I must demonstrate love, for that is what Christ commands. I believe that I have demonstrated kindness on this site even to those who do not agree with me. I attempt to treat everyone with respect, but that does not mean that I will relinquish the truths that I find in Scripture.

As a Christian conservative, I believe it is my duty to always speak the truth, but to speak it in love. I will not compromise the truths of the Word to appease the ways of the world.

As a Christian conservative, I believe that God created each and every being in His image, including unborn children. A Christian conservative is pro-life because God knew us before we even existed in our mothers’ wombs. Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;” God did not just know Jeremiah, He knew each of us and He knows each little child nestled in their mother’s womb tonight. I will never cease proclaiming God’s word on this topic and I will never stop striving to save the lives of unborn children.

As a Christian conservative, I believe that God created marriage between one man and one woman. At the beginning of time, He created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. Although I have deep love for some friends and family who are gay, I must acknowledge that this is not a behavior condoned by our Lord. I Corinthians 6:9-11 states, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” I didn’t say this, the Bible does. We cannot change the gospel to fit into our view of the world.

As a Christian conservative I believe that able bodied people should work. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” And Proverbs 12:11 says, “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.”

There was a time when we had no need for a social welfare state because the church was doing its duty in caring for the poor. But that state has now become a sole source of income for many who could be working. This is not what God had intended for His creation.

Although Jesus does tell us that we should pay our taxes, the government has become corrupt. They have overtaxed and overburdened its own people. God never ordained taking money from one person and giving it to another. When someone is truly in need we should give freely as giving to the Lord.

God expects us to be prudent with our money and He expects the same of government. If the government over spends and over extends this is not consistent with the principles of the Bible. Proverbs 22:7 states, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” As this country becomes less and less financially responsible we also become slave to our lenders. China holds more of our countries $18 Trillion debt than any other single country.

I could write so much more but I think you get the picture. I am a Christian conservative and I believe those two words are consistent. Jesus was NOT a socialist, but He did believe that people should help out those who cannot help themselves.

Most of the posts you will find on this site are specifically about our walk with the Lord, but from time to time, I will post about my politically conservative view points. I will speak of them because I believe that God demands the truth.

So yes, I am a Christian Conservative and happy to be called one!

Before your head hits the pillow

I’m an Emotional Wreck!

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

I’m an Emotional Wreck!

Have you ever heard those words? Maybe you have even said them. Having emotions is part of the way we were creating but having out of control emotions is not what the Lord for His children.

God created us with the ability to love, to laugh, and to feel joy and happiness. But if we have lost the connection with our Lord our emotions can get out of control. If we fail to recognize that God is in control of our lives we can experience emotions that lead us to fear and despair.

Romans 8:9 tells us that because of the Spirit who lives in us we can control our emotions. “You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but are in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong the Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

If you feel that you are an emotional wreck or if you experience mood swings, first up and then down, you may be lacking self-control. The goal of a Christian should be emotional maturity and stability. Emotional instability drains your energy and stresses those around you. Don’t ever let you emotions make decisions for you. If you are in the midst of making a decision and you feel emotional, take time, slow down.

GotQuestions.org in their answer to “What does Bible say about managing/controlling emotions? Says, “Out-of-control emotions are the product of a heart which is not saturated with Scripture. The way to control our emotions is to control our minds, renewing them by the daily input of scriptural principles, the knowledge of God, and meditation on His attributes. Then the Holy Spirit, along with the Word of God, will bring about appropriate emotions based on truth. When we immerse ourselves in the only means of our sanctification – the Bible- we arm ourselves with the only affective weapon against out-of-control emotions. Then we can control our emotions instead of them controlling us. In themselves, emotions are not unbiblical, but they are indications of what is in our hearts.”

Things that occur in our lives can cause emotional distress: Harboring ill will toward someone can make you spin out of control. Not letting go of guilt and shame after the Lord has granted forgiveness will cause emotional dysfunction and grief can certainly throw you into a tail spin. But if we stay constantly in the Word, if we meditate on the Lord and seek Him in prayer, you will be able to handle these emotions. You should not expect that this will all be easy but it will be manageable. With God’s help you can change any out-of-control emotion into a maturely controlled emotion.

B. Shelburne in Making Jesus Lord of Our Emotions gives us these tips: Quiet your soul. Psalm 131:2 says, “But I have calmed myself and quieted my emotions. With God’s help you can do this.

You must also hand over emotional burdens to God. Once you have handed them over DON’T take them back. And if they do come back immediately give them back to the Lord. Shelburne says, “If you have handed something over to God, every time it tries to return you must give it back again until gradually a new pattern is formed. Make a covenant with God that each time the thought returns, you will instantly give it back without spending time in struggle or guilt.”

Shelburne also gives these encouraging truths. “1) If it seems too hard to change, remember that our character is the sum of our habits, and our habits are the sum of our repeated choices. As we decide more and more often to entrust our burdens to God and deal with our emotions according to His directions, we will store up less and less poison and we will have growing inner peace. 2) We will succeed more in dealing with destructive emotional thoughts if we do so when they first appear, and are small and manageable.

So if you feel that you are an emotional wreck, turn it over to the Lord. Spend time in the Word and in prayer and then bask in the love of your Lord. Doing this repetitively will certainly calm your emotional storm.

Before your head hits the pillow

What does it Mean to Wait on the Lord?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

What does it Mean to Wait on the Lord?

People in today’s culture don’t really like to wait. We live in an instant society. We can pop a frozen dinner in the microwave and be eating in less than five minutes. We used to have to wait days or even a week or more for a letter to arrive, now we send an email and our friend or loved one can be reading it just minutes later. We no longer have to wait to see the photographs from our vacation. We can take them straight out of the camera, download them onto our computer and watch the slide show instantaneously.

It all so automatic, so the thought of waiting has become very foreign. But waiting is an important part of every Christian’s life. When the Bible says something more than once, you can believe that it is important.

Psalm 27:14 tells us, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.”

And Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”

“Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.” I Corinthians 4:5.

And Psalm 130:5 also speaks of waiting, “I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.”

Many more passages tell us to wait upon the Lord. In the Old Testament we are primarily told to wait for his provisions and in the New Testament we are also told to wait for His return.

Waiting on God means that we trust Him. Waiting on God means that we know and understand that His ways, His will, and His timing is ever so much better than anything we could anticipate. When we pray and it doesn’t seem that God is answering our prayer, wait. Wait on God and trust Him.

When we are anxious and afraid, we must wait on God and know that He will protect us. In those anxious times we can wait if we believe in the promises of God. Be comforted by the words of Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Or the wonderful promise in Psalm 91:11-12, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.”

If we believe these promises it should become easier to wait. God loves us and He cares for us. Just wait.

And when you despair over the condition of the world and ask the Lord to come quickly, remember, we must wait. We must wait, for we know that He will return to us at just the right time.

Waiting on the Lord is not just a suggestion, it is a command. God wants us to wait on Him. He wants us to trust in Him. The moment we begin to really understand what it means to wait on the Lord our lives our flooded with peace. When we understand that His timing is perfect and His love is incomprehensible we can be at rest. We can rest just as is spoken of in Psalm 23 – He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.

God is good. I will wait on Him!