It is nearing 10 tonight as I write this. This has been a strange day, starting in a startling manner but full of the blessings of the Lord. I awoke this morning early as my husband leaned over me to say he had been up for several hours with chest pains. They were not so bad now he said but perhaps he should go to the hospital. We ended up at our doctor where an EKG was fine but his blood pressure was not. Brad working on hammers on a piano
He is on medicine now, and will have a stress test next week. I am sure he will be fine. After all he bounded down our eleven steps, past me, on the way to the car, as he always does. But one always thinks of the worst first.
That is why I thought of him first when somebody on my comment section suggested that conservative Christians don’t care for the needy. I wanted to blurt out, as I am doing now, but my husband spends his Sunday afternoons doing prison ministry, etc., etc., and he is there because another conservative Christian, the Chaplain cares so very much for all of those boys. And that story could go on and on and maybe someday will. But this is a different thought.
Because I was brought up short, as the saying goes, by the thought that those who belong to Jesus never have to defend themselves. They are safely tucked under the wings of their keeper. And he is after all their final word, as he is their refuge. Immediately verses from the eighth chapter of Romans came to me. But also Revelation 12:10-11:
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
The 12th verse goes on to tell the heavens and earth to rejoice. This is a picture of the beautiful work of redemption that Jesus Christ has finished by dying on the cross for us and living again that we might have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. It is not our righteousness but his that matters. But because of his gift of righteousness and life we are being transformed into the sons and daughters of God.
Jesus has won for us the victory over sin, and death, and hell. Jesus has overcome the accuser; Satan has been defeated, the blood of Christ is our salvation. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
So here is a song to end my day and if you read this in the morning hopefully give you a morning blessing.
8 comments:
That's scary! I'm glad he's okay.
People who think conservatives don't care, don't get out much!
Good post and glad to hear it is only HBP (which can easily be handled by atenolol).
The polarization of Conservative/Liberal is often a flaso one and only accentuated by the media who wants a culture war. Further, many Biblical Conservatives (like myself) end up being social liberals in action (which may be what you are describing). I am beyond Conservative biblically...like a purest.
Thus, for example, a a political "Liberal" I also happen to be Pro-Life (as more and more are) and that across the board (that means no killing our neighbors in San Quentin). It is also why I join with many Conservative Republicans in calling for an end to our attempted occupation of Afghanistan.
Just a few eaxamples. These things are informed biblically which basically makes Kingdom issues trounce all nationalistic ones.
Glad to hear Bradford is okay. Grace and love,
Mac
Thinking of you two. May our Lord be closer than ever to you both.
Peace
Alan
Portland
Thanks Sara, Mac and Alan. What great friends you all are.
Oooh, Mac - that sounds like a Biblically-based consistent life-ethic. I like. A diamond in what I experience as the conservative ("pro-life" and pro-war and pro-execution) rough.
I'm extremely Liberal and I am sometimes quite humbled by the way I see Conservatives care for people in very personal and powerful ways. I'm amazed that a fellow Liberal misses that.
Liberals tend to believe we need policy changes so that our political structures become more compassionate and just. When it comes to family life and neighborhood life and church life, I see little difference in the ways Liberals or Conservatives interact.
love, john + www.abundancetrek.com + "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind." -- Albert Einstein
John,
I think that is self-evidently true of people on 'both sides of the aisle'.
For someone who does not favor large government, it is sometimes hard to see how the 'liberal' side views itself as compassionate. At the same time, it is hard for people who are convinced about national policy changes to view conservatives who resist some of those changes as compassionate.
Thing is, I've seen both too many times to be able to make assumptions. Most of my more 'liberal' friends genuinely are well-intentioned and genuinely are motivated by compassion. But that's also true of a great many of the 'conservatives' I know.
What you say about family, neighborhood, and church is very true.
Will Spotts
North East, MD
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