Edmund Burke Quote

The following quote is one of my favorites:

"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke

I legitimize Burke's quote by adding Philippians 2:13 to it: "...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Why do I add this verse? Because the quote talks about "good men." But we know from Romans 3:10 that "There is no one righteous, not even one..." "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:23). Only God is good, and therefore, evil triumphs when men fail to obey God and allow God to work His goodness through them.

Here's a commentary on the quote from American Minute with Bill Federer:

This famous quote was from British statesman Edmund Burke, who was born JANUARY 12, 1729.

Considered the most influential orator in the House of Commons, Burke stands out in history, for, as a member of the British Parliament, he defended the rights of the American colonies and strongly opposed the slave trade.

In "A Letter to a Member of the National Assembly," 1791, Edmund Burke wrote:

"What is liberty without wisdom and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without restraint.

Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites; in proportion as they are disposed to listen to the counsels of the wise and good in preference to the flattery of knaves."

Edmund Burke continued:

"Society cannot exist, unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere; and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters."

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:7-10

Living in Expectation

I received a newsletter from Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio who also has a radio program called “Truth for Life.” In his letter, he said he has “gratitude for the past and a great sense of expectation for all that God will do in us and through us this year.”

The thing I appreciate about this quote is that in it there is no disdain for the past. So often at this time of year, the past gets a really bad rap. Many people look back over 2010 and begrudge it as if nothing good happened and the only positive that remains in life is the future. Today, January 4, will be “the past” a year from now. Are we going to sweep today under the rug as so much dirt a year from now? Or will we sit back on January 4, 2012 and be grateful for January 4, 2011?

One of the best ways we can go forward is to respect the past, with all its lessons, victories, hardships and joys. And the way we get to the next part of Begg’s statement, the part about expectation, is to especially look at how prayer has been answered in past years.

The first time I ever experienced answered prayer I began to understand hope. Within hope is the expectation that God will work. When we focus on the way God has provided, heard our cries and rewarded our patient trust in Him, we gain the confidence that God will do all of that and more as we grow spiritually mature and in ever deepening relationship with Him.

Do we take time to really see and thank God for how He worked in our and other’s lives in the past? Do we allow ourselves the unabashed confidence that He is working even now, as we speak? Do we go to bed every night and wake up every morning with the anticipation of God with us?

I recently told my sister that, with Christ, every morning has that “Christmas morning” feeling. Every morning I get up and go downstairs, wondering what will transpire in the Christian life today. I fully expect to meet with God and to know that the time I spend with Him will be fruitful. I fully expect His word to work in my heart, convicting and encouraging me. I fully expect God to bear fruit in the world in which He placed me.

What a privilege it is to look back in gratitude, to anticipate the future with hope and to live in continual confident expectation of God.

“In the morning, O lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3

New Year 2011

My son had a friend over the other day, and I was reading a newspaper article to them out loud about New Year’s resolutions. My son’s friend said, “New Year’s resolutions don’t even work, do they?”

"No," I said. "January first is just a date. If it didn't work to try to change on July 15th, it isn't going to work to try to change on January 1st!"

We all agreed that, unless one becomes born again in Jesus Christ on January 1st, personal regeneration isn’t going to take place simply because one wills it on the first of the year.

For those of us who are already walking with Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the new year is like any other time of the year: a time to be renewing our hearts and minds in the Lord Jesus Christ, looking to Him each day to learn what He has to teach us. We come to Him and His Word in prayer and with a willingness to be made new each and every day through His conviction and grace. Praise be to God our Father that we walk in the newness of Christ 365 days of the year!

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4

Silent Night

Merry Christmas!

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:8-11

Feeling "Home Alone" this Christmas?

Probably one of the best scenes in a movie ever!

If you're feeling any of the emotions this clip stirs up, and haven't yet given Jesus a chance to address those issues, a church is a great place to find yourself this Christmas. Of course, Jesus can be sought out anywhere. But if you're finding, once again, that the parties, festive food, alcohol, beribboned presents, Christmas bonuses, etc. etc. just aren't filling the void like you anticipated, then maybe it's time to mark Christmas by finding Christ in the holiness of a chapel. Don't worry about being a stranger or not fitting in or any other excuse people use to justify their absence from the gathered body of Christ. After all, the first order of business to settle when it comes to church attendance is to realize that it isn't about you or me. It's about God, His Holy Spirit and His Son, Jesus Christ.

I pray the redeeming love of Christ, who alone reconciles us to God and each other, will be received into each heart this Christmas.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another..." 1 John 1:7

Carol of the Bells

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" Romans 10:14-15

It's Never Too Late...

This clip from "A Christmas Carol" to me depicts the victory we have in Jesus Christ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PymYl-vtZM0

It is never, I repeat never too late to allow God to finish the good work He began when He formed us in our mother's womb. It's never too late to start to become the person God desires us to be.

The fictional Scrooge does it by allowing a contrite heart to "bring him to his senses." Real-life human beings do it by allowing Christ to bring down the wall of pride (built brick by brick for many years), so that our contrite hearts are laid bare before Him with no place left to hide. Jesus Christ offers Himself as our "new sense," if you will; our new hope, new attitude, new conviction, new approach, new love and our new heart within us. As He promises in His Word, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

2 Corinthians 5:17-21, 6:1-2

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24