One Year in the Bible Readings for November 14
Ezekiel 29:1-30:26
Hebrews 11:32-12:13
Psalm 112:1-10
Proverbs 27:17
One Year in the Bible Readings for November 14
Ezekiel 29:1-30:26
Hebrews 11:32-12:13
Psalm 112:1-10
Proverbs 27:17
…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!
One Year in the Bible Readings for November 13
Ezekiel 27:1-28:26
Hebrews 11:17-31
Psalm 111:1-10
Proverbs 27:15-16
One Year in the Bible Readings for November 12
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14
One Year in the Bible Readings for November 11
Ezekiel 23:1-49
Hebrews 10:18-39
Psalm 109:1-31
Proverbs 27:13
One Year in the Bible Readings for November 10
Ezekiel 21:1-22:31
Hebrews 10:1-17
Psalm 108:1-13
Proverbs 27:12
One Year in the Bible Readings for November 9
Ezekiel 20:1-49
Hebrews 9:11-28
Psalm 107:1-43
Proverbs 27:11
One Year in the Bible Readings for November 7
Ezekiel 16:42-17:24
Hebrews 8:1-13
Psalm 106:13-31
Proverbs 27:7-9
…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!
One Year in the Bible Readings for November 6
Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
Hebrews 7:18-28
Psalm 106:1-12
Proverbs 27:4-6