JCSM's Weekly Devotions (click here to listen!)

"Avoid Whining and Complaining"

Exodus 16:7  "And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD.  But what are we, that you complain against us?"

1 Timothy 6:6  "Godliness with contentment is great gain."

1 Corinthians 10:10  "Nor (let us) complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer."

Philippians 2:14, 15  "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."

Jude 1:16-18  "These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.  But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts."

James 3:7-10  "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.  But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.  Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be so."

Insight: The Bible warns us about complaining and it tells us how to be.  Avoid whining and complaining and use your words to glorify God and edify others.

Prayer: "Dear Lord, help us to be wise with our words.  Forgive us for using them to hurt and cause division.  Let us love one another in word and in deed.  Help us to avoid whining and complaining.  Convict us when we do complain, so we can repent.  Thank you for your Holy Spirit that is within us.  You are good and faithful.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

America's Foundation

Constitution of the State of Massachusetts 1780, stated:

We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His providence [an opportunity to form a compact]; ... and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, ... [establish this Constitution]. ¹

The Governor shall be chosen annually; and no person shall be eligible to his office, unless, at the time of his election ... he shall declare himself to be of the Christian religion. ²

Chapter VI, Article I [All persons elected to State office or to the Legislature must] make and subscribe the following declaration, viz. "I, _______, do declare, that I believe the Christian religion, and have firm persuasion of its truth." ³

Part 1, Article II It is the right, as well as the duty, of all men in society, publicly, and at states seasons, to worship the Supreme Being, the Great Creator and Preserver of the Universe.  And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and seasons, most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience. 4 

Part I, Article III And every denomination of Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably, and as good subjects of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law: and no subordination of any sect or denomination to another shall ever be established by law. 5 

The right of the people of this commonwealth to ... invest their Legislature with power to authorize and require, the several town, parishes, precincts, and other bodies-politic or religious societies to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion, and morality in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntary. 6

¹ 1780.  Benjamin Weiss, God in American History: A Documentation of America's Religious Heritage (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1966), p. 155.  Gary DeMar, The Untold Story (Atlanta, GA: American Vision, Inc., 1993), p. 65.

² 1780, qualifications for the office of governor.  Francis Newton Thorpe, ed., The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and other Organic Laws of the States, Territories, and Colonies Now or Heretofore Forming the United States of America (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1909), Vol. III, pp. 1900, 1908.  Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1987), p. 266.

³ The Constitution of All the United States According to the Latest Amendments (Lexington, KY: Thomas T. Skillman, 1817), p. 89.  David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 24.

4 The Constitution of All the United States According to the Latest Amendments (Lexington, KY: Thomas T. Skillman, 1817), pp. 60-62.  David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 28.

5 ibid.

6 B.F. Morris, The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States (Philadelphia, PA: George W. Childs, 1864).  Gary DeMar, God and Government - A Biblical and Historical Study (Atlanta, GA: American Vision Press, 1982), pp. 164-165.

If you'd like to see more quotes from those that framed and founded America, please click here: http://jcsm.org/AmericasFounders/.

A Moment of Introspection

(This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained", by Jason Gastrich.  This book is on CD and explains over 3,000 difficulties regarding the entire Bible at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.org.  There is also a 300 question workbook that accompanies the CD-ROM.)

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