Tag: henry ward beecher

Contentment vs. Coveting

“In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.”
― Henry Ward Beecher

contenment vs coveting

Have you ever stopped what you were doing and seen all of your possessions around you? Are you amazed of what you have?

For some, we take the American Dream too far. We may look at someone who we look up to and think “why don’t I have what they have?” I work just as hard as they do! I deserve this __________ Insert one of the following items. ( Car, House, Outfit, Body, etc. )  When enough is not enough we take it in our own hands and do whatever it takes to move from contentment to covetous.

Stepping out of His Will into the unknown.

We begin to lose focus of our blessings whenever we covet; crave or desire a particular item. We begin to  see all these materialistic things that we crave for. The fashion world, the car world, the body world, the whatever you covet world is just what it is. It’s a “world” that is fake but leads you in that direction of believing it would make your life easier and better. Many have found this “world” of their obsession to be financially, mentally and for some physically straining say the least. All for us to say look at me, look what I have, look at what I’m driving, look at me! All to make yourself feel better about yourself or to make your neighbor that you don’t care for jealous. We find ourself distraught at this. The World is telling you, “You will be better off by having it.” It’s an “IT.” And God is whispering the opposite.

 

“Your Surrounded by beatitudes”

definition of beatitudes –  Supreme blessedness.

The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin beatitudo meaning “blessedness.” The phrase “blessed are” in each of the beatitudes implies a current state of happiness or well-being. The expression held powerful meaning of “divine joy and perfect happiness” to the people of the day. In other words, Jesus was saying “divinely happy and fortunate are” those who possess these inward qualities. While speaking of a current “blessedness,” each pronouncement also promises a future reward.

“Your surrounded by beatitudes” is what God spoke to me one time when i was distraught at something that I wanted to have. He began to show me the difference between our needs and wants in life and to be content with what we have, let’s realize it, what we have are the blessings that He has bestowed on us.

1 Tim 6:6-10

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

 

Very commonly, Christianity is presented today on the basis of what you will gain by following Jesus: personal success and happiness, a stronger family, a more secure life. These things may be true to some degree, but we must never market the gospel as a product that will fix every life problem. When the gospel is marketed this way, it makes followers of Jesus who are completely unprepared for tough times. After all, if the “Jesus product” isn’t working, why not try another brand? Also, this sales approach takes the focus off Jesus Himself, and puts the focus on what He will give us. Many have their hearts set on the blessings, not the One who blesses us. – enduringword.com

God teaches all of us to be content of what we have when we continually surrender the temptation of wanting more. That’s the key, continually, not just sometimes but always when we ever strive to have something we don’t need. Now don’t get me wrong, i’m not a minister that believes whatever money you have left over should go to the church; just be smart about your financial decisions and never forget what God has given you.

Matthew 6:28
“And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin.”

You Sought me

you_meYou Sought me

” Behold I stand at the door and knock.”

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I have been reading a book from 1859, by an author named Henry Ward Beecher, the book “Views and Experiences of Religious Subjects.” Henry who was a minister had written these small articles that were put in the New York Independent newspaper, he thought they would be more tempted to read an article rather than a lengthy book. How different would this World be if what you had just read was an article contained in every newspaper in America?

The Author of the book explains the metaphor of the urgency of Christ to every sinner.

“Christ comes to the soul-house, and stands there and knocks. On getting no answer, he goes away only to come and knock again. He waits at the door, and listens for a voice within, and goes away. He comes again, and waits, and goes away! He knocks, not at one door, but goes around to every door, and waits for an answer. As one who returns to his dwelling in the night, after a journey, and finding it locked, knocks at the accustomed door of entrance in the front, and getting no answer goes to the door in the rear, then to the side door – if there be one – and then to every other door, in order, if possible, to get into his house; so Christ, who longs to enter into the soul, goes to every door in succession, and knocks, and listens for an invitation to come in, and leaves not one chamber in the soul-house unsought, or one door untried! He knocks at the door of Reason; at the door of Imagination and Taste , of Benevolence and Love, of Conscience, of Memory and Gratitude! He does not neglect a single one!” – Henry Ward Beecher

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Just like He sought us, years ago before we opened that door of Salvation, when we finally stepped out of our dwelling, our houses of shame, burdened with grief and past failures that followed us into every room not letting the memory leave us. Where would we be if we had not opened that door for Him to come in and rearrange our dwelling, our life?

My years of having Him wait outside as I scurried in the inside trying to fix the broken parts that kept breaking before me; I gave up and let Him in. We all need that professional to take care of things that we are not able to do. Why should we attempt to fix what we are not capable of?

Pride

Every one has had pride or some still do I am sure of, pride is what leads to destruction. And for some, it’s so hard for them to give their problems to someone else, it’s the ego, the human nature saying “I can do this” no we can’t! it’s the words of Christ that assures us “I can do all things through Christ” by putting our faith in the finished work of the Cross.

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“If he be admitted, joy unspeakable is in the house, and shall be henceforth. The dreary dwelling is filled with light from the brightness of his countenance, and every chamber is perfumed from the fragrance of his garments. Peace and hope, love and joy abide together in the house – for Christ himself takes up his adobe therein. But if, after his long knocking at the door and patient waiting for entrance. his solicitation be refused or neglected, by and by there shall come a time when you who have denied him, shall be denied of him. For when you shall knock at the gate of Heaven for admittance into the mansions which he has prepared from the foundation of the world, he will say unto you, as you said unto him, Depart! But that dreadful day has not yet come, and he still stands at the door – his locks wet with the dews of the morning and waits to be invited into the chamber of your soul. Hear his voice once more.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me!” – Revelation 3:20

It was 1859 when this book was published. Who are we to think His coming is going to be 10, 20 or more years away, when Henry was anticipating His coming in 1859? This World has gotten so much worse since 1859.

I urge anyone who has not yet opened that door to Him, to not walk to that door but run. Some think the Christian life is boring, ha. Who is to think that when all you need is Jesus, you will find out that outside your dwelling after Christ has come in and re decorated your soul with his presence that none other can compare. He seeks the lost and finds the door of the soul, he knocks profusely until you answer.

Back slider – You had once opened that door to Him, He once was the center of your life, now due to complacency; little by little He has been pushed out of your life and onto the streets as He is fervently knocking at your door again.

Will you answer or ignore the Master?

Men who neglect Christ, and try to win heaven through moralities, are like sailors at sea in a storm, who pull, some at the bowsprit and some at the mainmast, but never touch the helm. – Henry Ward Beecher

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You Sustain me

you_me

You sustain me

It is our wisdom, as well as our necessity, to beseech God continually to strengthen that which he has brought in us. We often forget that the Author of our faith must be the Preserver of it also. The lamp which was burning in the temple was never allowed to go out, but it had to be daily replenished with fresh oil; in like manner, our faith can only live by being sustained with the oil of grace, and we can only obtain this from God himself. Let us, then, day by day, go to our Lord for the grace and strength we need. We have a strong argument to plead, for it is his own work of grace which we ask him to strengthen. Only let your faith take hold of his strength. – Charles Spurgeon

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From the instant that we ask Christ to be Lord of our lives we are no longer sustained by our own ability. We rest fully in His Grace, by putting our faith in Him. For Him to be Captain, not the co-captain, the driver, not the passenger. For Him to be in control. He is the source that we need. Whenever you buy a car, the tank will be full, or at least close to it, but when your almost out we know where to go. If you were not to fill the car up obviously you could not go anywhere, like the Christian, trading things of God for the cares of this World. Who’s complacency of not being filled becomes distant from God Overtime without communion with God, our “tank” gets lower and lower until we hit rock bottom.

~ Wisdom is better than strength ~

“Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength; and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.”  – Henry Ward Beecher

The sinner who lives on their own strength cannot have victory in the trials that they are in. Like the wise man who was surrounded by a great and mighty army inside the walls of a little city, with his wisdom; delivered the city.

” There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.”
(Ecclesiastes 9:14-16 ESV)

Having victory in your life is not done by outsmart the enemy, it is using the wisdom of God through Jesus Christ who has already won the victory. Through Him we will be sustained by His Grace.

“Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22

Are you sustained by God?

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