In Christ Alone

"This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” ~ Acts 4:11-12

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." ~ Ephesians 2:4-10

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." ~ Philippians 2:1-11

Made to Praise

~ Designed by Kate

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.

~ Psalm 115:1-3

 

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!

Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!

The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!

Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,

who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.

He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

~ Psalm 113

 

Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

~ Psalm 117

 ~ English Standard Version (ESV)

Grace Like Rain - a Painting

Original Oil Painting - Grace Like Rain

The idea for this painting came to me while listening to Todd Agnew’s song, Grace Like Rain.

I could see a man – his clothes worn, torn, and stained, and his skin covered in grime – standing in the light of the setting sun while a soft rain fell around him. And anywhere the clear water touched his outstretched arms and upturned face, the water glowed with pure white light and washed away the grime and stains, mending the tears in his clothing as it turned the cloth as white as freshly fallen snow.

God’s grace is poured out upon us completely outside of our control and is capable of perfect cleansing. (Exodus 33:19, Romans 9, Ezekiel 36:21-28, Ephesians 2:4-10, Romans 5:15-17). We can do insignificant things that attempt to block the rain of God’s grace from touching us, but He is able to defeat every single one of our pathetic shields. His grace is so awe inspiringly pure and terrifyingly powerful – and yet, at times can be so gentle – it can wash away the filth of our sin-soaked selves and give us the precious gift of Salvation by our LORD and King, Jesus Christ.

“. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus . . .” ~ Romans 3:23-24

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I Once was lost but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see so clearly

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away

(from “Grace Like Rain” by Todd Agnew)

This is a picture of the painting in different lighting conditions ;P :) . . . only because I thought the one above is a little more 'vibrant' than the painting looks in person :]

Saturday Night Sermon

I was going to post A Friday Night in the Promised Land, which is also by Eric Ludy, but I couldn't find an available video so I posted the one above instead - since it kind of followed the same premise . . . But I do suggest you go to the link above and download (and Listen to) the other sermon, because it focuses more on the concept that Christ should be our All in All. . .

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. ~ Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. ~ Philippians 4:5-8 NASB

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17 ESV

Psalm 63 . . . Colossians 3:1-17 . . . Ephesians 1:15-23 . . . 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

;D

Praise the Lord!

Tragedies Punctuate Travesties

So, in the last few days many of us have been inundated with all the news about the shooting in a Connecticut school this Friday that followed on the heels of a shooting in Clackamas Town Center right here in Clackamas, Oregon . . . (not to mention that whole nasty business with the Dark Knight Rises a while back).

Though I feel the need to pray and mourn for all those involved in these indeed tragic events, I also find myself wondering why we do not feel this way Every Single Day . . . Think about it. Things like this happen all over the world, especially considering that there are many countries at war with one another right now. And even more blatant than that is the Admitted and Recorded FACT that the United States alone murders children in the tens of thousands every day! (Yes, I am talking about abortion).

Again, I will say that the things that are claiming the attention of much of my family and friends are indeed tragedies. And I pray that the LORD would comfort and reveal His grace and mercy to those who are directly suffering from them. But what about the travesties of how our country (and the rest of the world) look at so many other things? Violence such as is being mourned over in these cases are considered 'cool' and 'entertaining' when it takes place in movies or TV. Life and people are not regarded as they should be. True Hope is lost or obscured under false security that is found in earthly comforts or merely 'humanitarian' acts of kindness.

Regardless of how you(or I) react or think about these things, these are all examples and reminders of one thing: the world is consumed in sin and in rebellion against God, and because of this we are all in need of the Gospel of our Savior and LORD, Jesus the Christ.

May I encourage you to read the following passages of Scripture as we continue to pray about the specific events we are aware of and also seek God's face for His glory, honor, and  praise to be proclaimed to all the earth?

Romans 1-3 . . . . Psalm 23 . . . . Psalm 17-20 . . . . Psalm 27-30 . . . . Matthew 6:25-34 . . . . John 3:16-21 . . . . Hebrews 12-13 . . . . Revelation 4:11 . . . . Isaiah 45:22-23 . . . . Romans 14:7-12 . . . . Philippians 2:8-11 . . . .

LORD, please guide our thoughts and prayers, not only in these things and in the next few days, but in All things and in Every second of the years to come. Make us concerned for Your glorification and praise in this world. Please bless us with confidence and boldness in proclaiming Your love and calling those around us to repent and turn to Your precious Son, Jesus. 
    Please reveal your glory and grace to those affected by the tragedies that have caught the attention of our country in the last few days. Convict those who need to be convicted, and please offer comfort and healing as well. Please work your redemptive glory in those lives.
    We are nothing and worse apart from You, Almighty God, I ask specifically that You pour Your grace upon this country and guide its leaders and citizens to repentance, that You and Your statutes would be held in honor, reverence, and respect.
    Thank you, dear Father, for your patience and faithfulness. Thank you for your Son, and the cross by which you have made salvation and reunion with you possible.
    In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. . .

~ J D White

12/17/2012

Gentleness

Recently I was asked to give a 'talk' on gentleness during lunch at Christian school (the 'theme' for lunchtime throughout the term has been the Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23) . . . I only wrote down a few notes for the talk, but the LORD had begun showing me a few things in those notes that I thought it would be beneficial to look a little closer at . . . What you are about to read is the result. . .

The word 'gentleness' in the Galatians 5:22 passage is translated from the Greek word chrestotes: which is used in the Bible for 1) moral goodness, integrity and 2) benignity, kindness . . . (If you don't have your own concordance, you can check out this link) . . . which suggests (as any in-depth look at the Fruit of the Spirit will) that this is mainly pointing to a 'heart/motive' aspect, rather than just a way of behaving. . . (Ephesians 4:1-3)

However, as far as the practical aspect went, I began to think and try to find an example or picture of gentleness in everyday life that would be simple to understand. The first thing that came to my mind were Prismacolor Colored Pencils because the Colored Pencil teachers that I've known have a tendency to make a running joke out of how they want students to treat their pencils because of how expensive they are. Because of their price and the fact that they are easily broken, even tapping a colored pencil on something is greatly frowned upon. They are an item that needs to be treated with care. . .

But then I thought that that would be a really shallow example if left by itself, so I turned to the obvious and only Perfect example given us in Scripture - Jesus Christ. . .

As I looked through the Gospels in search of Jesus' showing gentleness, I thought about many of the examples where Jesus showed mercy and compassion, but God pointed me specifically toward the few accounts of Jesus with children. . .

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. ~ Mark 10:13-16

In order to understand some things it is helpful to know the subject’s opposite . . . and what is the opposite of gentleness? . . . I waited a bit after asking this question, watching as the children I had been speaking to began to think. And I was glad to see a little girl light up and raise her hand before giving the answer I was looking for: Violence.

I nodded and began to talk about how it was so rare to find violence used as a positive in Scripture. In fact, the only place I could find where that might be the case was in Matthew 11:12 – which suggests to me how aggressive we should be in ‘pressing into the Kingdom’ or in seeking to know God.

On the other hand, there is a veritable cornucopia of references to how vile and wrong violence or the violent person is:

The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates. ~ Psalm 11:5 NASB

Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. ~ Proverbs 3:30-32 ESV

Those of you who have spent a lot of time in Psalms and Proverbs know that those are only a fraction of the examples and commands given regarding violence as it corresponds to the righteous or the wicked . . . And that those are mostly in the context of men dealing with other men – mere hints at the wrath of God concerning the subject. . .

After mentioning some of this, I returned to gentleness and asked the kids if they could give me examples of ways that we can ‘practically’ (as a physically conscious demonstration) show gentleness toward one another . . . Once again I waited as they looked up at the ceiling or at one another in search of ideas. A few good responses were called out, but a little boy finally called out a word that I could not help but think was given the child by the Holy Spirit.

The boy had said ‘kindness’ . . . I smiled at this suggestion as I realized that this was another of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, and that it helped confirm my belief that all of the ‘fruits’ correspond to and find strength in one another as the Holy Spirit works them into the growing believer. I pointed this out as I continued speaking once the boy had suggested being kind as a way to show gentleness.

At this point I had no more notes, and at the moment I am still not quite sure where to go from here (only because there are numberless things that could be considered in Scripture starting from this point and moving into different things), so I ended my ‘talk’ by reading the following from my New American Standard Bible:

As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God, the God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless? He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places. He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness makes me great. You enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped. ~ Psalm 18:30-36

 

J D White

11/25/2012

Thanksgiving Proclamation

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

 

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

Click Here to see the Original Document. . .

* * * * *

A friend of mine sent me the above proclamation in an email on Thanksgiving and I thought I'd share it. :)

I always find it ironically amusing (and unfortunate) how the government abuses the term 'separation of church and state' (which is not a part of Any of our original documents setting up our government - i.e. the Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.) . . . Especially when compared to decrees made by our Founding Fathers like the one above. . . .

Oh well, the Lord is good, and in Him we can confidently Trust. . .

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! ~ Psalm 9:9-11 ESV

Give Thanks

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ 1 Chronicles 16:34

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. ~ Psalm 7:17

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. ~ Psalm 28:7

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. ~ Psalm 30:4

Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! ~ Psalm 33:2

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good. ~ Psalm 54:6

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. ~ Psalm 57:9

But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. ~ Psalm 79:13

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. ~ Psalm 86:12

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! ~ Psalm 97:12 

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. ~ Psalm 100:3-5

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! ~ Psalm 105:1

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 106:1

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. ~ Psalm 106:47

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 107:1

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. ~ Psalm 108:3

With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. ~ Psalm 109:30

Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. ~ Psalm 111:1

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 118:1

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 118:28-29

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever... ~ Psalm 136:1-3
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. ~ Psalm 136:26

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:57

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” ~ Revelation 4:11

May we never cease to offer thanks and praise to our great, magnificent, wondrous, gracious, and loving LORD of lords and King of kings, the one and only God Almighty who is worthy of All honor, praise, and glory!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Joy

This is a 'paper' that I wrote up a few months ago after a good friend and I had a conversation about how a Christian should strive to have a happy/joyful countenance . . . I had come to the conclusion that one of the things that might help my friend in overcoming the seemingly 'gloomy' demeanor that plagued her at times would be searching Scripture for what it means to have the 'joy' that Christians are so often exhorted to display..... and thus, my own look into this concept is what followed...

'Joy in the LORD' + 'Peace in the LORD'

 *v = verse(s)

Psalm 34, 121, Proverbs 3:1-12, John 14:27, Romans 5:1-5, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 2(v* 13-14), 6:10-20, Philippians 4:4-9, Psalm 4(v 7), 21(v 6), 43(v 4-5), 66(v 1), Habakkuk 3:17-19, 1 Thessalonians 1, James 1(v 2-3), 1 Peter 1(v 8), Psalm 98, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, 1 Chronicles 16:8-36, Psalms 61-63, 113-119(v 118:24, v 119:162), Ecclesiastes 11:5-10, 12, Romans 12(v 12), 2 Corinthians 6:3-10(v 10).....

    In considering the subject of joy (which only bears true meaning in the context of 'the joy of the Lord' or - more accurately - 'joy in the Lord') I doubt anyone would not at some point consider the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (there are passages - namely Colossians 3:12 and Romans 5:1-5, and more I'm sure - that suggest the same pattern, at least in part).
    I find it interesting that joy is placed second in this list, especially considering that it can be argued that Paul started the list with the most important fruit . . . (see Matthew 22:37-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 13:34-35 and 15:8-17, Matthew 5:43-48, 1 Corinthians 13, etc...) . . . Following the same line of reason, it is also interesting that peace comes third in the list.
    After noting this, I noticed that peace and joy often correspond to/with one another in several of the scriptures listed at the beginning of this paper: see Psalm 4:7-8, 21:6-7, 43:4-5, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Philippians 4:4-7, Romans 5:1-5, Proverbs 3:1-12, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:8-9..... I'm sure you realize by not that I could go on for quite a few more lines - but I'll stop here and give you my thoughts on the verses already named...

    Now, I realize that Psalm 21:6-7 and Psalm 43:4-5 (along with several others) do not expressly state anything about peace, but please allow me to explain why I find the suggestion of it to be evident (and, hopefully, thereby indicate how I see it in the other verses mentioned).

    First, in Psalm 21, verse 6 obviously states how the king is glad: because the LORD's presence brings him joy . . . Though verse 8 would not stand very well for suggesting peace without the context of the entire psalm, how could the king not feel spiritual peace in God's presence, and physical peace (at least in part) when the LORD is 'swallowing up His enemies in His wrath?'
    Second, in Psalm 43, verse 4 has the psalmist praising God and calling Him his 'exceeding joy' . . . In verse 5 the psalmist is astonished (I think) that he could feel despair or disturbed in his soul, considering the first 4 verses of the psalm, and clearly calls for peace by placing all his hope upon God...

    Proverbs 3:1-12 obviously presents us with the opposite question: where is the joy in this Scripture?
    To that I would answer with another question: How could one who could be described by this passage not experience joy at all of these things? Let alone the joy he must have in his knowledge of and service to the Most High God! (which I would think is the case if he obeys the commands of the afore mentioned Scripture)...

    All of that said, wouldn't it be reasonable to follow the logic that if God grants His ever strengthening and hope giving peace to one of His elect, wouldn't He then grant them joy as well?... Or: how could one feel the unfathomable joy of the LORD, if God has not granted peace in his soul? (or vice versa)...
    Well, I suppose saying all of this has only served to point out the close affiliation of joy and peace (I'm sure the same would be found of all of the fruits of the Spirit - i.e. they would all develop with and build up one another)...
    So where do we go from here?

    Perhaps we can start by looking at some of the things that should give us joy just by considering them.
    Consider Luke 2:8-14 . . . Just the mere fact that God sent His Son to dwell among us in the flesh and start the process by which He would save us should fill us with joyous gratitude and praise every time we consider it(verse 10 and 14), let alone that He has changed us and now dwells with us through the Holy Spirit...
    May we never react in any way contrary to that of John the Baptist (or his mother, or Mary) when the LORD makes His presence known... Luke 1:39-56, Mathew 3:14, Hebrews 12:1-3...
    "...Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." ~Nehemiah 8:10(final half)  Although this is only the last half of the verse and it has been taken out of context, I believe it can stand alone in many instances...

    "But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you." ~Psalm 5:11

    With all of this talk of joy, I feel that I must acknowledge that this is not a constant euphoria that our mind, body, and soul is held in . . . I must even admit that the true sense of 'joy' that I try to convey will never be attained until all nations bow before the throne of God and praise Him in eternity...
    No, in this life Ecclesiastes all too often sums up life; especially for those who are not granted the overflowing mercies and grace of God (Ecc 3:1-8) . . . But those who have been saved should count those times as blessings, because those times of sorrow and trial will press them harder toward their Savior (James 1:2-3)...

    This is about where my 'thoughts' start to wander until I decided to just shut up ;P . . . so I would like to close with this:

    The holy, holy, holy God of the universe, our LORD and King, is the only true source of anything that would come close to 'purpose,' or 'fulfillment,' or any other kind of thing that people seek in this life. We were created to chase after Christ with every ounce of might that we are granted by the Father. Oh may we only find pleasure in knowing and pursuing not only the things of our God, but God Himself...

"Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!" ~Psalm 117

The Gospel

I know it's a bit long, but I hope those of you that choose to watch this video will take the hour and fifteen minutes to listen to the whole thing :)

I pray the LORD uses this video to bless you...

Some Thought Provokers

I actually wanted to put this up on the 4th but completely forgot :P . . . . well, here's to considering the great Blessing that is our Country anyway. :)

“It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”
― George Washington

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
― John Adams

“If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”
― Daniel Webster 

“If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, then error will be. If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendency. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of this land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end.”
― Daniel Webster

“Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it.”
― John Adams

“I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe . . . Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing. Make them intelligent, and they will be vigilant; give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy.”
― Daniel Webster

“A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government”
― George Washington

“Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world.”
― Daniel Webster 

“I regard it (the Constitution) as the work of the purest patriots and wisest statesman that ever existed, aided by the smiles of a benign Providence; it almost appears a "Divine interposition in our behalf... the hand that destroys our Constitution rends our Union asunder forever.”
― Daniel Webster

“The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions”
― Daniel Webster

“There are two ways to conquer and enslave a country. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.”
― John Adams

“A disordered currency is one of the greatest political evils.”
― Daniel Webster

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” (emphasis mine)
― George Washington

I know that's a lot, but I'm trying to get a point across... If we could transport our 'Founding Fathers' into today to see the state of our nation: i.e. the abortion rates (or the fact that abortion(which is murder) is even legal), the people that have been voted into office (*cough*Obama*cough*), or even the state of our economy. . . they would be ripping the hair out of their heads...

Well, I don't want to sound like I'm constantly looking at the negative, so I'll leave you with this....

God established this country, and he has made it a bastion of His Gospel. And despite the corruption of men, I believe He is continuing to work in this nation. Though it may be difficult to see much of the time, I don't think we should throw in the towel for the United States' salvation just yet.

Though I tend to not like it when people pull 'promises' out of Scripture and 'claim' them for themselves or their circumstances, I do think there is a real sense in which 2 Chronicles 7:14 (though out of context) can apply to any nation where God's elect have citizenship: "...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." ~2 Chronicles 7:14

So may we never cease to pray for our nation, its governing body and its citizens, and may we seek to glorify our LORD by preaching the Gospel wherever we walk... (1 Timothy 2:1-4, 2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Hope you had a great 4th of July!   God Bless :)