False Christian teachings, trends….
Dr. Jeff Mayfield provides much encouragement and a biblical rationale for contemplation upon our Savior in his 4 minute video in this post. If you are among those who have not yet processed your post-election trauma, then God is holding out a hand to you via Mayfield’s / John Owen’s words – pay attention to what you give your thoughts and know how they might be most excellently directed
The purpose of this post is to remind readers of the attitudes and graces spoken of in each of the eight parts of this series. A sampling of points was copied and pasted from each post; by knowing where these specific attitudes and graces are explained, one might more easily return to review those he wishes to know more intimately.
Now this is a way of getting contentment that the men of the world do not know: they can get contentment, if they have the creature to satisfy them; but in getting contentment from the Covenant of grace they have little skill. I should have opened two things here, first, how to get contentment from the Covenant of grace in general (but I shall speak of that in the next sermon, and now, only a word on the second). Secondly, how he gets contentment form the particular branches of the Covenant, that is, from the particular promises that he has, for supplying every particular want.
…five considerations with which a godly man finds contentment in what he has, though it is ever so little; 1. Because in what he has, he has the love of God to him; 2. What they have is sanctified to them for good; 3. …Grace shows a man that what he has, he has free of cost, from God as from a Father, and therefore it must needs be very sweet; 4. A godly man may very well be content, though he has only a little, for what he does have he has by right of Jesus Christ, by the purchase of Jesus Christ; 5. Every little that they have is but as an earnest penny for all the glory that is reserved for the. …Can I have the strength of Christ? Yes, it is made over to you by faith: the Scripture says that the Lord is our strength…
The Christian who has learned contentment, does not look at the means of affliction which the Lord uses to conform him to the image of Christ, he merely submits to God’s hand and finds pleasure in receiving His providences. The election 2020 has brought afflictions into the lives of many conservative Christians, do you want to learn how to receive God’s affliction obediently? This post uses some quotes from Jeremiah Burroughs’ Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment help the biblical Christian learn how to identify disobedience and seek obedience regarding receiving afflictions from the Lord’s hand
As 2 Corinthians 10, Ephesians 6 and many other places in the Bible make clear, the Christian’s weapons are not worldly. Our weapons are the righteousness of justification, faith, prayer, abiding in His word for direction and enablement, fellowship with Him and His children…which enable us to endure the hard knocks we are promised to receive from the world. Also, I have been freshly reminded that spiritual warfare is happening all around us 24-7-365; and we need God’s grace and Spirit to endure. …God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
IT IS NOT SO MUCH THE REMOVING OF THE AFFLICTION THAT IS UPON US AS THE CHANGING OF THE AFFLICTION, THE METAMORPHOSING OF THE AFFLICTION, SO THAT IT IS QUITE TURNED AND CHANGED INTO SOMETHING ELSE. …A CHRISTIAN COMES TO THIS CONTENTMENT NOT BY MAKING UP THE WANTS OF HIS CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT BY THE PERFORMANCE OF THE WORK OF HIS CIRCUMSTANCES. …THE MYSTERY CONSISTS NOT IN BRINGING ANYTHING FROM OUTSIDE TO MAKE MY CONDITION MORE COMFORTABLE, BUT IN PURGING OUT SOMETHING THAT IS WITHIN.
Burroughs describes the state of contentment further; then he talks about two ways of knowing greater contentment: by subtracting from one’s desires; and by adding his burden of sin to his burden of affliction. “The heavier the burden of your sin is to your heart, the lighter will the burden of your affliction be to your heart, and so you shall come to be content.”
It is okay to desire the affliction to be removed and to seek that via prayer; but obedience remains under the affliction; more than that, is pleased to remain under it, thanking God for His work, knowing that He only does right…. One who has learned this lesson of contentment, looks up to God in all things; he does not look down at the instruments and means God uses [to afflict him or bless him]; he sees God’s wisdom in what is happening to him
The doctrine contained in Phil. 4:11 is that it is the duty, glory and excellence of a Christian to be well-skilled in the mystery of Christian contentment …godliness is NOT great gain unless you also have contentment