9 Requisites For Contented Living

Contented Living

“There are nine requisites for contented living:

  1. Health enough to make work a pleasure [Ecclesiastes 5:19*];
  2. Wealth enough to support your needs [Proverbs 30:8-9];
  3. Strength to battle with the difficulties and overcome them [1 Corinthians 15:57];
  4. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them [James 5:16];
  5. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished [Romans 5:3-5];
  6. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor [Luke 10:25-37];
  7. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others [Ephesians 4:2-3];
  8. Faith enough to make real the things of God [Psalm 91];
  9. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future [Psalm 33:18].” —Goethe

* The quote is from Wolfgang Goethe, but I added the Scripture references.

Links & Quotes

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Some great reading from today…

“Ask yourself—Is God justified in my justification? Do I prove by the way I live and talk and do my work that God has made me holy?” —Oswald Chambers

Keep praying and speaking out for Meriam Ibrahim’s freedom. Sudan has imprisoned her and sentenced her to death because she is a (gasp!) Christian.

“The economy shrank for the first time in 58 years! Many of you, this has never happened in your life. The Drive-By Media, of course, is going to ignore this. Or, as the AP does here, say, “The setback is expected to be temporary with growth rebounding solidly since spring.’ Really? Well, every Drive-By news report I’ve read on the economy for the past six years has had the word ‘unexpected’ or ‘surprised’ in it, meaning everything they’ve reported has been a shock. They haven’t expected it. So it’s no big deal. Yeah, it shrank 3%. But that’s just expected to be temporary. … And so, for I don’t know what—the umpteenth or gazillionth time in the last six years—we are being told that prosperity is just around the corner. How long has AP been spreading this sunshine now? How long have ABC, NBC, CBS, the Washington Post, the New York Times been spreading this BS that prosperity is just around the corner—we’re poised for growth, waiting to break out—while the day-to-day reality is it’s worsening?” —Rush Limbaugh

Do you take vitamin supplements? This latest report says you should, and it says you shouldn’t.

Lower courts make a ruling on redefining marriage that is just flat-out wrong.

“Joy is increased by spreading it to others.” —Robert Murray McCheyne

“satan will try to bring upon you the most dreadful temptation or trial you have ever faced. He wants you to get bogged down in guilt, condemnation and self-examination. Dear saint, you have to arise in the Spirit and get your eyes off your circumstances and bondage. Do not try to figure it all out. Start praising, singing and trusting God—and He will take care of your deliverance.” —David Wilkerson

Alexander Solzhenitsyn tells us why countries fail: “Men have forgotten God.” Read more here.

Links & Quotes

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Some good reading from today…

“The more difficult it becomes for an older person to use the mind and the memory, the more we must fight with him and for him, wielding the sword of the Spirit where his own hand is weak.” —John Piper

A little comedy—Al and Lois go to a counselor after fifteen years of marriage. The counselor asks them what the problem is. Lois goes into a tirade, listing every problem they’ve ever had in their years of marriage. She goes on and on and on. Finally, the counselor gets up, embraces the surprised Lois, and kisses her passionately. Lois shuts up and sits quietly in a daze. The counselor turns to Al and says, “That is what your wife needs at least three times a week. Can you do that?” Al thinks for a moment and replies, “Well, I can get her here Mondays and Wednesdays, but Fridays I play golf.”

Ken Davis reminds us of the value of slowing down in his post Not So Fast.

Digital photography software is allowing archeologists and paleontologists and others to examine artifacts in 3D without damaging the original.

Kevin DeYoung has 5 questions for Christians who believe the Bible supports homosexual “marriage.”

John Maxwell reminds us to make sure we drop the right ball.

Links & Quotes

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Here are the links to some interesting reading I found today.

Great news! U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Prayer At Government Meetings.

A sober word for pastors: “I fear that sometimes our own eloquence and our own concepts may get in the way, for the unlimited ability to talk endlessly about religion is a questionable blessing.” —A.W. Tozer

“The more of Heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet.” —Charles Spurgeon 

Ladies, looking for a pro-life OB/GYN? Check out this directory.

Good: Why We Need To Start Taking The Sabbath Seriously.

Dr. Tony Evans on homosexuality, the church, and Christianity.

“When God causes us to have no mercy on our sins, then He has great mercy on us. When we are angry with evil, God is no more angry with us. When we multiply our efforts against iniquity, the Lord multiplies our blessings.” —Charles Spurgeon

Did someone say Islam was “a religion of peace”? Guess they forgot to tell these guys…

10 Blessings From Doing Things God’s Way

10Solomon opens the third chapter of Proverbs with these words, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart.” Then he goes on to list the blessings that come from doing things God’s ways. Here they are—

  1. A prosperous, long life (v. 2)
  2. You will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man (v. 4)
  3. Straight paths (v. 6)
  4. Health to your body (v. 8)
  5. Overflowing success for your work (v. 10)
  6. God’s discipline—yes, His discipline is a blessing (v. 12)
  7. God takes you into His confidence (v. 32)
  8. God blesses your home (v. 33)
  9. He gives you grace (v. 34)
  10. He gives you honor (v. 35)

With a list of blessings like that, why would I ever want to try to do things my way?!

Links & Quotes

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These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.

[INFOGRAPHIC] I love the resources from uknowkids.com. Check out this one on Online Identity Theft.

So you thought you were learning something during your all-night cramming session? Oops! Pulling All-Nighters Can Kill Brain Cells.

[INFOGRAPHIC] The New Testament church loved being together! Check out all the “one another” statements.

“Jesus Himself says, ‘Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 7:21). Sadly, multitudes of Christians are not troubled at all by their sin; their besetting habit does not bother them in the least. They have convinced themselves that God is so merciful and full of grace, He will pardon them even if they stubbornly continue in sin.” —David Wilkerson. Read more of his post Only By Faith.

Over the last 2000 years, look The Christian Contribution To Medicine.

Links & Quotes

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These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.

“The continued neglect of the Holy Spirit by evangelical Christians is too evident to deny and impossible to justify. … There can be no doubt that there is a huge disparity between the place given to the Spirit in the Holy Scriptures and the place He occupies in popular evangelical Christianity. In the Scriptures the Holy Spirit is necessary. There He works powerfully, creatively; here He is little more than a poetic yearning or at most a benign influence. There He moves in majesty, with all the attributes of the Godhead; here He is a mood, a tender feeling of good will.” —A.W. Tozer

“Talk to me about the truth of religion and I’ll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I’ll listen submissively. But don’t come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don’t understand.” —C.S. Lewis

URGENT: United Nations Documents Human Rights Abuses In North Korea, equating the abuses here to those atrocities committed in Nazi Germany.

“Today, the United States is one of only four countries in the world—in the company of China, North Korea, and Canada—in which late-term abortions are allowed for any reason after a child is able to survive outside the womb.” —Heritage Foundation report. [FREE E-BOOK] How To Speak Up For Life

[VIDEO] U2 on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Who Knew? 9 Amazing Uses For Aspirin

[INFOGRAPHIC] You need more sleep

Links & Quotes

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These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.

4 Health Dangers Of People-Pleasing

“What is so profoundly disturbing here is that the one person who takes a specific oath to defend the Constitution—to protect the Constitution, to defend the laws of the United States and to enforce the laws—is the one bastardizing them. The rule of law is disintegrating before our eyes.” —Rush Limbaugh. Read this: How Far Can Obama Go?

Amazing story! Miracle Baby Born After Sustains The Life Of His Brain-Dead Wife

“You see, the Lord’s concept of ‘church’ is much different from ours. We think of church as being a ministry to people. It is a place where all the needs of God’s people—spiritual, physical and emotional—are met. Of course, that is all part of what makes up a church. But the true Church, according to Scripture, begins with ministry to Jesus Christ. His concept of the Church is anyplace there is ministry to Him.” —David Wilkerson

Belief in science takes faith: Statistical Errors In The Scientific Method. “Change your statistical philosophy and all of a sudden different things become important. Then ‘laws’ handed down from God are no longer handed down from God. They’re actually handed down to us by ourselves, through the methodology we adopt.” —Dr. Steven Goodman, a physician and statistician at Stanford

The Bible says God has placed eternity in every human heart. Can this be verified? Evidence Of Eternity In Our Hearts?

“With good reason the ancient proverb strongly recommended knowledge of self to man. For if it is considered disgraceful for us not to know all that pertains to the business of human life, even more detestable is our ignorance of ourselves, by which, when making decisions in necessary matters, we miserably deceive and even blind ourselves! But since this precept is so valuable, we ought more diligently to avoid applying it perversely. This, we observe, has happened to certain philosophers, who, while urging man to know himself, propose the goal of recognizing his own worth and excellence. And they would have him contemplate in himself nothing but what swells him with empty assurance and puffs him up with pride. But knowledge of ourselves lies first in considering what we were given at creation and how generously God continues his favor toward us, in order to know how great our natural excellence would be if only it had remained unblemished; yet at the same time to bear in mind that there is in us nothing of our own, but that we hold on sufferance whatever God has bestowed upon us. Hence we are ever dependent on him. Secondly, to call to mind our miserable condition after Adam’s fall; the awareness of which, when all our boasting and self-assurance are laid low, should truly humble us and overwhelm us with shame.” —John Calvin

The dangers of our national debt: America In Debt

Gratitude Cancels Anxiety

Gratitude cancels anxietyThe wise King Solomon said, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down…” (Proverbs 12:25). And now medical science proves it.

There’s the physical weight of anxiety:

  • Digestion of food is hindered
  • Sleep is disrupted
  • Short-term memory is hampered
  • Immune system is depressed
  • Heart disease risks are elevated
  • Not to mention the emotional and relational weights of anxiety

But do you know what brings an almost immediate bounce-back from these conditions? Feeling and expressing gratitude.

The feelings of gratitude…

  • Release endorphins (the feel-good hormone)
  • Make good memories easier to recall
  • Strengthen relationships
  • Improve overall physical health

The verse I quoted earlier from Proverbs was only the first half of the verse. The full verse says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Science tells us that it doesn’t matter if those good words are words others say to us, or words we say to ourselves, or words we say to others. Our bodies cannot tell the difference, so any grateful/thankful/positive words cancel out the heaviness of anxiety!

Try it! Keep a gratitude journal … write a letter to someone you haven’t properly thanked for their investment in your life … make it a point to compliment others … speak more positively to yourself. Those grateful words are not only the antidote to the anxiety weighing you down now but also the inoculation against future anxiety. 

We’ll be looking at more benefits of gratitude next week, as we continue our series A Grateful Heart Is A Strong Heart. Please join me!

A Grateful Heart Is A Strong Heart

A Grateful Heart [web]As we approach Thanksgiving Day, many people begin to get their thanks on! They will start rehearsing for their family gathering when someone might ask them, “What are you thankful for this year?”

But I want to make the case for practicing gratitude all year long!

There are emotional, physical, psychological and relational benefits to being a thanks-filled person. Truly those with grateful hearts have strong, healthy hearts … both physically and emotionally.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense out of our past, brings peace for today, and create a vision for tomorrow.” —John Maxwell 

Please join me the next two Sundays at Calvary Assembly of God as I share some of the medical research and biblical truths that will reveal the year-round, whole-person benefits of being grateful.