Everyone I know is suffering in some way these days; financially, health-wise, fears of the future....I'm not sure there's been a worse time in my lifetime and I don't see things getting better any time soon.
It's a great comfort to be a believer and know that, even at the worst, we have real hope, real salvation, a real future, the best kind of future.
That doesn't mean, of course, that believers will not suffer...far from it. But the real hope, the trust in God, is such a comfort throughout the worst of times. He does get us through the troubles, or leads us to a better place when it's time.
"So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6
I hope some of you find solace just in reading the scriptures above again and again; they helped me as I typed them and I hope they help you, too. Believers have a lot to be thankful for no matter what's going on in their lives.Happy Sunday......Z
*top photo by Mr. Z
46 comments:
Z - Yes, things are bad in our country.
But the important thing to remember is that we will endure -as a people, and we must have faith that our country will endure.
Among other great things, our foundations were built on endurance.
One reason we will endure is that time passes, and life goes on. Healing takes place, old issues are resolved and new ones take their place.
In our country - although it doesn't alwlays seem like it - everyone gets a chance to take part in the democratic process, if their will is strong enough and the determination is there.
Just think back to times and events in our country's past. If we do that we will find the Faith in ourselves to pull through this one.
We ask God to give us Discernment, Unity and ask His Blessings on all of us.
And we ask Him - as He has always done - to Bless America.
"We believe like Mohammedans, and are as mute as tombstones," said Athos.
(The Three Musketeers. Alexander Dumas.)
;)
Sue,
I admire your optimism....but we can't continue with a populace whose children are having God taught OUT of them in school and in the public square.
We never honored Socialism in this country before and those who say now that "we'll do it better than in Europe" are heard by our kids and they're buying this junk.
I could go on and on here but 'faith in ourselves' is highly overrated when faith in God is nearly gone. I don't have faith in most people who don't honor God first.
I continue to pray, of course, especially for unity, and for a government which will put Him first, which will recognize enemies are lurking and call them for what they are.
thanks...
nicrap.....tell me more, in English, por favor!
Z - I think the problem with my comments - on your blog and the two other Conservative blogs that I comment on - is that I generally don't write things that are good in discussions, or arguments.
And discussion and arguments are really what political blogs are all about.
I just don't think that way.
When I write a comment, I just type out my thoughts.
Perhaps my comments are out of place simply because they are not conducive to 'argument.'
Know what I mean?
Maybe I should just see the light -that my comments are not only not useful, but actually disruptive.
:-)
Sue, I don't see any problem with your comments...not all comments are argumentative; some agree, some don't; some criticize; some add to the blog.
I thought yours added nicely and I said I admired your optimism but don't agree too much with it; this is what makes blogging rich and worthwhile; a good exchange of feelings and opinions!
What's 'disruptive' about a comment unless it's full of profanity or attacking with no facts behind the attacks, etc?
Z, I heard this for the first time last night, and I CANNOT get it out of my head...not that I want to! :)
THIS is my hope, my promise and my praise!
God Bless, Z! Have a GREAT week!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eSdop0rG7Y
And to the other Sue...I have to agree with Z. I don't have much "faith in ourselves". We have to look beyond ourselves for help, as mankind has proven over and over. That being said, I also agree with her that your comments were by no means disruptive!
Z and Sue: Wait a minute - why am I the other Sue - why aren't YOU the other Sue. Just kidding:-).
I appreciate the supportive comments that you both made about my comments.
BTW - There is an old saying:
'God helps those who help themselves.'
You won't find it in the Bible, but there is something in those words to think about.
nicrap.....tell me more, in English, por favor!
:)
Let's just say i was wondering if, when you say faith, do you mean just that, or do you mean one particular faith - in Christian God, perhaps? Because, as many would agree here, Muslims have a most absolute faith ... and yet, these same people would, and do see it as a problem ... They call it fanaticism. When does faith become fanaticism, would you say? :)
I agree with everybody, and I don't want to get Sue'd, either. The world is bad off, and we ought to have the faith that we can make things better.
There is a way that seems right to man and then there's God's way.
Lord,
Touch our country in a way that will make it stronger, wiser, financially sound and honoring to You. Give our leaders wisdom, perseverance and courage. And allow us to maintain our freedoms.
Amen
Thank you Z for the Sunday Faith blog.
One of my favorites Z that goes along with the theme of your blog today.
But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord.
Isaiah 54:16-17 (Amp Version)
Thanks for publishing your Sunday Faith Blog. It is alway an inspiration and comfort. Thanks too for taking time to drop by my site.
Z, thank you for this post, it does help.
I believe when times are hard, more people turn to God, especially if they feel there is nowhere else to turn.
"No man is an island", and "there are no athiests in foxholes".
For me, hope is eternal I guess, and history has plenty of examples where goodness finally won out.
I hold on to that, and I pray for divine intervention.
I would submit this:
The bulk of America just wants it all to STOP.
STOP with the constant change, STOP with the uncertainty, STOP with the economic chaos, STOP with the socio-engineering.
Just STOP.
Most Americans are thinking and saying: give me a break. Just let me try to catch my breath and assume some form of normality for a while.
Absent that, absent solidity with the physical, comes comfort in the ethereal and spiritual, in God.
BZ
SUE SUE SUE!!!
You are an avowed liberal, God bless you, yet you share this with us "mean ol' Conservatives?"
'God helps those who help themselves.'
Yes, not government! But THEMSELVES! We want ALL people to be self reliant if they at all CAN be, and have pride from being self reliant and then to help others because they WANT to, not because they're taxed to. AND I believe God helps those who help others (BloggerZ, Chapter 2:24 (just kidding, of course!)
I love these exchanges, thanks Sue, and the other Sue (not sure which is which..and not sure it matters, of course!) :-)
nicrap "When does faith become fanaticism, would you say?"
When faith kills 3000 people and then starts to play on the hearts of 350 billion through dishonesty and subterfuge and also makes demands of pushing ones faith and laws onto a land not founded on it, that's fanaticism, according to Z. True or not, I don't care; that's my feeling.
This country wasn't founded on anything remotely Islamic no matter HOW much credit Mr. Obama gives to Muslims for America. I'm trying to remember one Muslim founding father and, darn if it just escapes me for the moment :-)
I come from Jesus and Christianity; another blogger can wax upon equality of religion in our country.
I have no problem with, I even CELEBRATE Judaism, by the way...when has a JEW hurt AMericans in the name of his religion?
When has a Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh........? And, who the hell ever cared about Muslims in this country practicing their faith until 9/11 and the demands started? ANYBODY? of course not.
And, by the way, let them have equality, just DO NOT push Christians and Jews out of the country founded on Judeo Christian ethics, beliefs, strengths, etc etc..just DO NOT.
Elbro, thanks..."Touch our country in a way that will make it stronger, wiser, financially sound and honoring to You. Give our leaders wisdom, perseverance and courage. And allow us to maintain our freedoms. Amen"
"and honoring to You" is the key, pal; Bless you for including that.
Have a GREAT party for Elbro Jr today :-)
TICKER: thanks for including that important Scripture.
It reminds me of "...and every knee shall bow.." a phrase that touches me so much; something we should all be doing more of, I think....
It means everything to me that you find my Sunday Faith blog an 'inspiration and a comfort'..it's why I do it, as you know.
Pris, excellent comment and good advice to keep optimistic and pray hard! :-)
Bob, thanks for your optimism, too.
BZ, you said "Just STOP.
Most Americans are thinking and saying: give me a break. Just let me try to catch my breath and assume some form of normality for a while"
Well said.....Americans are dizzy from the changes, most of which they see as unconstitutional, destructive, and threatening....to everything they hold near and dear.
I fear there won't be normality for a while and faith in Jesus is more important than EVER, as Pris said.
No atheists in Fox Holes.
BY THE WAY, folks:
Remember I often suggest that atheists are good at least partly because most were raised in Christian or Jewish homes? I heard Dennis Prager say just that thing this week. It kind of amazed me. When you're raised with that good stuff in you, it doesn't leave because you stopped believing; the comfort leaves but the good conscience is there.
."...the good conscience is there..."
Your love of C.S. Lewis comes shining through.
Mrs. Elbro has been weepy all week counting down the days. Spent the week going through his room....time to fly baby bird.
Hi, Elbro...I honestly don't know enough about Lewis to know he spoke of good conscience, but I'm not surprised.
I have read a lot but not enough.
Have a wonderful party and good luck with the poignancy! Yes, the bird must fly!
Tell him GOOD LUCK from me!
SUE: I would love to feel that way; I feel our wall's crumbling under an electorate which really doesn't understand or love this country anymore, due to school indoctrination and the media, TV, films, etc.
The Scaffold might stand, the outward patina of the GREAT AMERICA but the wall of the REALLY GREAT AMERICA is not, in my opinion.
When you've lost the kids, there's not much wall there left standing...that's new for us; we always could depend on the people and that they wanted to rule themselves and have little gov't and enjoy the immeasurable feeling of self reliance.
We need 2 generations reindoctrinated to THINK, to respect both political parties, to actually consider what their profs tell them and be encouraged to disagree, to be taught both sides of everything and for News to tell us the news not their slant on it.
If that comes back, our wall may stand tall again.
Good poem.
A summary of chapter one of Mere Christianity could be described this way:
We as humans are created by some being who also dictates, through our conscience, how we ought to behave.
All of humanity feels the weight of some Law of Human Nature, which dictates to everyone's conscience a common sense of Right and Wrong, yet all of us fail to live up to it. Although instincts also persuade us in some course of action or another, this Law can override or promote instincts in a way that superscedes instinct. Attempts to justify the Law by reasoning fail with circular reasoning, but it is nevertheless true. Two opposing views exist on the creation of the Earth, and the Religious view proposes that God gives us this Law within us to suit His purposes. If God exists and has dictated His morals as Law to us, we are condemned by it, because we do not keep it.
Mrs. Elbro has been weepy all week counting down the days. Spent the week going through his room....time to fly baby bird.
Our two left at the same time, Elbro...almost 13 years ago.
We moped around the house, got teary eyed for about a week.....then...the second week was GREAT!! ;-)
Scotty, that's hilarious!
I wish the same for Mr and Mrs Elbro!
"I admire your optimism....but we can't continue with a populace whose children are having God taught OUT of them in school and in the public square."
Z...several years ago, our church had a bus route to pick up kids for Sunday School.
We went everywhere, including the poorest sections of the city.
On Saturdays, we went door-to-door, talking to anyone who would be willing to talk, inviting their children to Sunday School, even if the parents were not attending church.
We invited them, too, of course, but 99% were not interested, and said that they didn't want to get up that early to come to church, and surely didn't want to get up to get their kids ready.
Understand, most of these people were on drugs, or alcoholic, and most of them were on welfare.
We offered to come on Sunday mornings to get the children ready for them...and you would be surprised at how many of them agreed!
And guess what?
You would, also, be surprised at how many of those parents eventually began attending church, seeing the potential for a better future for themselves, and their children.
We knew that if we could reach the children, there was a good chance that we could, also, reach the parents...and we did.
The children influenced the parents with their enthusiasm.
I forgot to mention that we, also, fed the children breakfast, at church, and a snack before being taken home.
Now, as you said, schools are trying to 'unteach' the love, and reality of God, and influencing the students that their parents are wrong when they speak out against immorality, of any kind, no matter how perverse....and teaching them to accept all faiths, no matter how false, or how murderous....unless, of course, it's Christianity.
When it comes to that, it is politically incorrect to speak of it in a positive way, and heaven forbid that anyone should pray, or mention the name of Jesus!
So, it is no wonder that we are concerned about what is happening to our country, when the very foundation it was founded upon is now considered politically incorrect, and offensive to anyone who does not believe in Christianity. Who would have ever thought that something like that could happen here, in America? Where will it all end?
I do believe that we should help ourselves in doing what we can do, but ultimately it is God in whom we must put our faith, and trust.
He is our only hope.
We should, and must pray for wisdom for our leaders, but at the same time, we cannot honor those who dishonor God.
Jan, what a FABULOUS idea picking those children up and how utterly beautiful that some of the parents started coming.
I have a dear friend who was half Jewish and half Catholic, I think. She and her husband put their children in a Lutheran preschool and when she picked up the children every day, they'd be singing or chatting about Jesus and she decided she wanted "some of that". She was totally unreligious at the time.
She became a total believer and is now the director of that SCHOOL! And the most loving, fabulous woman you could meet. SHe saved a very difficult marriage to an ex Catholic (now Lutheran) drug addict and boozer, too....by patience and prayer. He's totally straight now and they have a marvelous marriage.
I will miss him, he's not only my son but one of my best friends. I call him buddy ol' pal, but I'm much more pragmatic then Mrs Elbro.
@ Mrs.Z
I was thinking more in theological terms, ma'am. But no matter... :)
Have a wonderful week.
nicrap...how does pure faith become fanaticism unless it's put upon others or used like a sword, etc?
By the way, the Musketeers were right...if we'd not been 'mute as stones' about our faith,(the Mohammedens surely aren't) maybe we wouldn't be in the mess we're in today in America.
Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno .
...an admirable sentiment. :)
nicrap...yes, as along as it's CHRISTIANITY that's for 'all' :-)
Sorry, couldn't help it. I do strongly believe God created AMerica and not so Islam could take over, no matter HOW 'egalitarian' we Americans are. I believe he thought we'd protect His lands and uphold His sovereignty. but we will not, sadly.
And I believe this in my most dark, doubting days.
Art thou not Peter? ;)
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