By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Steve_Wickham]Steve Wickham
At the Pharisees' criticism for his spending time with sinners, Jesus says:
Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.
~Matthew 9:13 (NRSV).
Divine mercy and sin are co-mingled aspects of the redemptive life. The only condition pending for full salvation is the preparedness of remorse for sins against God; those are to be placed on the altar of our hearts in repentance.
"Remorse" is the operative word: an authentic state of sorrow for our sinful nature. But we have freedom in knowing mercy is plentiful, replete in Jesus' hanging on the cross of Golgotha for us.
TWO INCREDIBLE AND DICHOTOMOUS FACTS
This is what I call the Hourglass Paradox.
When we play Pictionary, using the tiny plastic hourglass, we quickly find the bottom-half full of sand and the top portion empty when time is up.
As our time dries up, the bottom-half is symbolically full with sand - representing both our transgressions and the forgiveness of God for the repentance we enacted right up until the final day. The top portion might represent the unrepentant sinner; not a transgression visible to their eye or worthy of repenting of, nor the forgiveness of God.
While salvation is conditional upon us understanding, continually, that we are sinners, we are the only ones granted escape from a Christless eternity, here and to come.
THE COURTROOM ANALOGY
The image before us is clear. We have been caught for and stand accused of a major crime: sins against God.
As wanton and fully charged prisoners, we enter court, go to the dock, plead guilty, accepting the full case against us. Without plea, we expect to be sentenced to the harshest of penalties - and understand this: no defence is entered, because we fully know we're rotten through. And we sit minutes later, the sentence handed down, staring in disbelief, utterly back-washed in joyous revulsion because we learned we have being acquitted at the legacy of an innocent man who's been executed for our crimes.
How can we comprehend the mercy of God?
Because of the Hourglass Paradox - the weight of our sin, yet the fullness of grace - we can contemplate the redemptive reality and our minds are never emptied, whilst our hearts are forever full in thankfulness and resultant praise.
Walking out of that courtroom scene: how can it be that Jesus' love sets me free?
JESUS CAME FOR YOU AND I - THE WONDER IN THAT THOUGHT
Jesus says to us, each single one, through the broad expanse of history: only imperfect people need apply. If you know the truth, abide in it. God never expects righteousness, but loves observing people achieve it from their mindful hearts. Grace covers the rest. We needn't worry.
We must wear our sinfulness as a true mark of our ongoing need of salvation, in approaching the Mercy Seat of Christ.
SELECTED THOUGHT:
Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong; but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world.
~Martin Luther.
� 2011 S. J. Wickham.
Steve Wickham is a Registered Safety Practitioner (BSc, FSIA, RSP[Australia]) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His blogs are at: [http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/]http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/ and http://inspiringbetterlife.blogspot.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Jesus-and-the-Hourglass-Paradox&id=6672890] Jesus and the Hourglass Paradox
Friday, February 17, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
One of Seven Billion: Does Your Life Really Matter?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_H_Harbison]John H Harbison
Though much less than the present U.S. debt of trillions of dollars, seven billion is still a large number that is hard to get my head around. You have probably read or heard that this past week the population of the world topped the 7 billion mark. As only one of this huge horde, does any individual life really have significance?
All seven billion people hold a number of things in common as part of the human family. All are created in the image of God. This means that every person of the seven billion reflects in himself or herself attributes of God such as reason, creativity and love. Theologians call these and other qualities God's communicable attributes--qualities of people which correspond to qualities in God (there are also incommunicable attributes--qualities which are true of God alone such as being eternal and self-existent). Though marred by sin, this image remains present in people and gives inherent value to every person, as well as enabling each one to reflect the character of God [See Genesis 1:26-27].
All are also recipients of God's general revelation. God's truth about himself in the creation is evident to everyone though some suppress that truth and reject the Lord of creation [See Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-23].
Finally, all experience the blessings of God's common grace. In Matthew 5:45 Jesus says, Your Father causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous. All people receive these gracious gifts from the hand of God.
However, beyond those things held in common by all human persons lie those things which begin to separate you from all other people. It is a combination of things which begin to narrow the field of people of whom these things are true until we arrive at you.
First is your temperament. Though many other people have the same temperament as you, this is not true of everyone. Your temperament identifies tendencies about your personality which determine how you will tend to be or act in various situations. This separates you from most other people.
Second there are your particular strengths and weaknesses. The collection of things you do very well and of things you do not do as well narrows further the number of people who are like you. The weaving together of your temperament with your strengths and weaknesses results in things which are unique to you. However, there are other areas which define these unique things even more.
Third there are your passions--those things about which you care deeply and to which you gladly give your time and energy. I remember a situation where an older woman in a church upbraided her pastors (of which I was one) in front of the rest of the congregation for their lack of emphasis on and commitment to missions. I do not believe she was being intentionally obnoxious; she was expressing her passion for missions. While one might question her tact, her passion was unquestionable. You can probably identify passions in your life. These add to your uniqueness.
Finally there are your spiritual gift or gifts. Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift--a grace-initiated, Spirit-empowered attribute or ability--that enables you to effectively be involved in Christ's kingdom work in this world. Your gifts may be speaking gifts or serving gifts but each enables you to fulfill your kingdom assignment and so bring glory to Jesus [I Corinthians 12].
Your temperament, strengths and weaknesses, passion and spiritual gifts work together to make you one-of-a-kind, a unique human person in God's world.
Though all this is true, there are other, deeper things that point to the fact that you are a unique individual. Consider these things:
Jesus knows you personally and calls you by name (John 10:4, 27)
He has planned a future and a hope for you (Jeremiah 29:11)
He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
This is the one thing above all else that makes your life matter in the midst of seven billion people--the Lord knows who you are. His knowledge and love of you as an individual person and His adopted child should bring you encouragement and joy. Your life matters!
You can read more articles by Dr. John Harbison on his blog at http://thegloryofthegrind.wordpress.com or follow him on Twitter at John_Harbison.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?One-of-Seven-Billion:-Does-Your-Life-Really-Matter?&id=6673308] One of Seven Billion: Does Your Life Really Matter?
Though much less than the present U.S. debt of trillions of dollars, seven billion is still a large number that is hard to get my head around. You have probably read or heard that this past week the population of the world topped the 7 billion mark. As only one of this huge horde, does any individual life really have significance?
All seven billion people hold a number of things in common as part of the human family. All are created in the image of God. This means that every person of the seven billion reflects in himself or herself attributes of God such as reason, creativity and love. Theologians call these and other qualities God's communicable attributes--qualities of people which correspond to qualities in God (there are also incommunicable attributes--qualities which are true of God alone such as being eternal and self-existent). Though marred by sin, this image remains present in people and gives inherent value to every person, as well as enabling each one to reflect the character of God [See Genesis 1:26-27].
All are also recipients of God's general revelation. God's truth about himself in the creation is evident to everyone though some suppress that truth and reject the Lord of creation [See Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-23].
Finally, all experience the blessings of God's common grace. In Matthew 5:45 Jesus says, Your Father causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous. All people receive these gracious gifts from the hand of God.
However, beyond those things held in common by all human persons lie those things which begin to separate you from all other people. It is a combination of things which begin to narrow the field of people of whom these things are true until we arrive at you.
First is your temperament. Though many other people have the same temperament as you, this is not true of everyone. Your temperament identifies tendencies about your personality which determine how you will tend to be or act in various situations. This separates you from most other people.
Second there are your particular strengths and weaknesses. The collection of things you do very well and of things you do not do as well narrows further the number of people who are like you. The weaving together of your temperament with your strengths and weaknesses results in things which are unique to you. However, there are other areas which define these unique things even more.
Third there are your passions--those things about which you care deeply and to which you gladly give your time and energy. I remember a situation where an older woman in a church upbraided her pastors (of which I was one) in front of the rest of the congregation for their lack of emphasis on and commitment to missions. I do not believe she was being intentionally obnoxious; she was expressing her passion for missions. While one might question her tact, her passion was unquestionable. You can probably identify passions in your life. These add to your uniqueness.
Finally there are your spiritual gift or gifts. Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift--a grace-initiated, Spirit-empowered attribute or ability--that enables you to effectively be involved in Christ's kingdom work in this world. Your gifts may be speaking gifts or serving gifts but each enables you to fulfill your kingdom assignment and so bring glory to Jesus [I Corinthians 12].
Your temperament, strengths and weaknesses, passion and spiritual gifts work together to make you one-of-a-kind, a unique human person in God's world.
Though all this is true, there are other, deeper things that point to the fact that you are a unique individual. Consider these things:
Jesus knows you personally and calls you by name (John 10:4, 27)
He has planned a future and a hope for you (Jeremiah 29:11)
He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
This is the one thing above all else that makes your life matter in the midst of seven billion people--the Lord knows who you are. His knowledge and love of you as an individual person and His adopted child should bring you encouragement and joy. Your life matters!
You can read more articles by Dr. John Harbison on his blog at http://thegloryofthegrind.wordpress.com or follow him on Twitter at John_Harbison.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?One-of-Seven-Billion:-Does-Your-Life-Really-Matter?&id=6673308] One of Seven Billion: Does Your Life Really Matter?
Monday, February 13, 2012
Let's Fully Express Ourselves
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=William_T_Trotter]William T Trotter
In writing this article I'm expressing myself. Then if I get up for a break to go and get a cup of tea, I'm expressing myself the whole time from getting up, walking to the kitchen, filling the kettle with water and starting it, getting a tea bag and putting it into the teapot, taking a mug from the cupboard, pouring the boiling water into the teapot, waiting for the tea to steep, pouring the tea into my mug and then adding milk I've taken from the refrigerator and then walking back to my computer with the tea. While doing all of this I've done nothing other than express myself and even my brain has been operating by thinking, but there again that's myself expressing through my thoughts.
Even if we are driving, working at our job whether it's a government desk job or working as a labourer, an engineer, an architect or a doctor, all we do all day long is express ourselves and when we are asleep, we are still expressing as we breath, dream, move around and perhaps snore.
However, there is a difference in how you express yourself in doing things in daily life versus how I do them, or how my wife does them. For example, in getting a cup of tea as I mentioned above, there may be some very subtle differences such as how long you let the tea steep in the pot and do you heat up the pot by washing it out with some of the boiling water before putting the tea bag into it. Thus your tea may taste slightly different than mine.
Nevertheless, the main difference in your tea and mine will be the amount of 'Makoto' we each put into making it. Makoto is a Japanese word, but in PL we capitalise it because we give it a much stronger special meaning. That meaning is to do things with your 'full heartfelt sincerity'. When you do things with your heartfelt sincerity people can notice the difference. It's because you are also putting your mind into it, which is more than just concentrating on doing your effort. It's almost like putting the energy of who you are into it; it's putting your soul into it.
None of us were born exactly the same. Each of us have our own unique individuality that we were given at birth. This is the most precious gift we have ever been given, and we received it with the expectation that we express it fully throughout our lives. Thus, we should always be expressing ourselves with Makoto. When we do this our true unique individuality will shine through and we will experience true human joy.
In talking about expressing our Makoto, I've used the rather mundane example of making tea. However let's take something more complicated than just making tea, something like writing, painting a picture, making furniture, singing a song or even acting, then we start to see huge differences between the results of how you did any of these things versus how I or anyone else did them, especially if they have been given a natural aptitude to be able to do them and have seriously practised doing them.
Let's suppose we each had the same aptitude for doing something like singing, then what will separate us in the results will be our Makoto. You can clearly distinguish the difference when one person has done their Makoto effort and another person has not, even if they have the same aptitude. The person who has done their Makoto effort will experience more joy and the results will be quite clear. Furthermore, the expression of who they are as an individual (their uniqueness) will clearly stand out.
We can certainly see examples of this in singers as diverse in styles as John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Susan Boyle, Luciano Pavarotti, Eric Clapton and many hundreds of others. Again in writing, there is such diversity with even a few well known authors such as Robert Lewis Stephenson, Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte, Bryce Courtenay and countless others. However the important point to remember is that the major difference between all the singers and all the writers is their unique individuality which stands out for all to see and recognise as theirs.
By hearing a singer and reading a book of a well-known author we all know and recognise the distinct personal differences between each of them. This is true whether it's singers, writers, sculptors, painters, remarkable politicians, architects, surgeons, home builders, or whatever they happen to be, it's their individuality that stands out. Also, if they are well known, they have obviously put their Makoto into their expressions.
However, our individuality is clear in whatever we are doing if we do it with our Makoto effort. All these singers and writers I've listed and any other well known people you wish to add were all normal people who expressed themselves with Makoto. As a result their individuality is there for all to see.
Nevertheless, we all express our individuality in some way, but the uniqueness of who we are becomes clearer and more outstanding the more we put our Makoto into it. So even if it's making a meal for our family, raising our children, working at a store or some other business, if we do our Makoto effort our individuality will be reflected in it and we will feel the true joy of having done our best.
One of the meanings of the first PL Precept, 'Life Is Art,' is that we create art in our lives when we express ourselves by doing our Makoto effort. Thus 'art' can be created by those who do their full sincere heartfelt effort in all they do, no matter how elegant or mundane and their unique individuality will be reflected in what they've done.
Bill Trotter
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Lets-Fully-Express-Ourselves&id=6670032] Let's Fully Express Ourselves
In writing this article I'm expressing myself. Then if I get up for a break to go and get a cup of tea, I'm expressing myself the whole time from getting up, walking to the kitchen, filling the kettle with water and starting it, getting a tea bag and putting it into the teapot, taking a mug from the cupboard, pouring the boiling water into the teapot, waiting for the tea to steep, pouring the tea into my mug and then adding milk I've taken from the refrigerator and then walking back to my computer with the tea. While doing all of this I've done nothing other than express myself and even my brain has been operating by thinking, but there again that's myself expressing through my thoughts.
Even if we are driving, working at our job whether it's a government desk job or working as a labourer, an engineer, an architect or a doctor, all we do all day long is express ourselves and when we are asleep, we are still expressing as we breath, dream, move around and perhaps snore.
However, there is a difference in how you express yourself in doing things in daily life versus how I do them, or how my wife does them. For example, in getting a cup of tea as I mentioned above, there may be some very subtle differences such as how long you let the tea steep in the pot and do you heat up the pot by washing it out with some of the boiling water before putting the tea bag into it. Thus your tea may taste slightly different than mine.
Nevertheless, the main difference in your tea and mine will be the amount of 'Makoto' we each put into making it. Makoto is a Japanese word, but in PL we capitalise it because we give it a much stronger special meaning. That meaning is to do things with your 'full heartfelt sincerity'. When you do things with your heartfelt sincerity people can notice the difference. It's because you are also putting your mind into it, which is more than just concentrating on doing your effort. It's almost like putting the energy of who you are into it; it's putting your soul into it.
None of us were born exactly the same. Each of us have our own unique individuality that we were given at birth. This is the most precious gift we have ever been given, and we received it with the expectation that we express it fully throughout our lives. Thus, we should always be expressing ourselves with Makoto. When we do this our true unique individuality will shine through and we will experience true human joy.
In talking about expressing our Makoto, I've used the rather mundane example of making tea. However let's take something more complicated than just making tea, something like writing, painting a picture, making furniture, singing a song or even acting, then we start to see huge differences between the results of how you did any of these things versus how I or anyone else did them, especially if they have been given a natural aptitude to be able to do them and have seriously practised doing them.
Let's suppose we each had the same aptitude for doing something like singing, then what will separate us in the results will be our Makoto. You can clearly distinguish the difference when one person has done their Makoto effort and another person has not, even if they have the same aptitude. The person who has done their Makoto effort will experience more joy and the results will be quite clear. Furthermore, the expression of who they are as an individual (their uniqueness) will clearly stand out.
We can certainly see examples of this in singers as diverse in styles as John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Susan Boyle, Luciano Pavarotti, Eric Clapton and many hundreds of others. Again in writing, there is such diversity with even a few well known authors such as Robert Lewis Stephenson, Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte, Bryce Courtenay and countless others. However the important point to remember is that the major difference between all the singers and all the writers is their unique individuality which stands out for all to see and recognise as theirs.
By hearing a singer and reading a book of a well-known author we all know and recognise the distinct personal differences between each of them. This is true whether it's singers, writers, sculptors, painters, remarkable politicians, architects, surgeons, home builders, or whatever they happen to be, it's their individuality that stands out. Also, if they are well known, they have obviously put their Makoto into their expressions.
However, our individuality is clear in whatever we are doing if we do it with our Makoto effort. All these singers and writers I've listed and any other well known people you wish to add were all normal people who expressed themselves with Makoto. As a result their individuality is there for all to see.
Nevertheless, we all express our individuality in some way, but the uniqueness of who we are becomes clearer and more outstanding the more we put our Makoto into it. So even if it's making a meal for our family, raising our children, working at a store or some other business, if we do our Makoto effort our individuality will be reflected in it and we will feel the true joy of having done our best.
One of the meanings of the first PL Precept, 'Life Is Art,' is that we create art in our lives when we express ourselves by doing our Makoto effort. Thus 'art' can be created by those who do their full sincere heartfelt effort in all they do, no matter how elegant or mundane and their unique individuality will be reflected in what they've done.
Bill Trotter
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Lets-Fully-Express-Ourselves&id=6670032] Let's Fully Express Ourselves
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Psalm 127 - Children Are A Heritage of the LORD
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Steve_Wickham]Steve Wickham
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
~Psalm 127:1-2 (NRSV).
Finding our way to the middle of the Songs of Ascent, this one goes to the heart of the truth surrounding investment - time, effort, resources etc.
Reading this psalm there is a strong reminiscence of Psalm 1.
There are five verses; two of which (above) speak to the negative as a warning - effort without God's anointing goes unrewarded, ultimately - whilst three more speak of the blessings enfolded to the family man and woman trusting in the basics-of-abundance of the LORD.
The only difference is Psalm 1 speaks about blessing first; then concludes in cursing of the sinner who hasn't heeded the warnings of life. The theme, however, is strikingly similar:
Blessings there will be for the faithful; curses will be the lot of the unfaithful.
WORK WISELY NOT WASTEFULLY
The two verses profiled atop speak such a valuable Proverbs-like truth.
There are infinite ways to make a quick buck, or even swindle our way through life, but that way is destined to failure.
Not only that; even if we set out on a path to serve God by our works, those works won't be blessed if our motive was wrong in the beginning - if we, by our works, had an agenda for ourselves.
As is the recurrent theme through the Old Book, the LORD seeks our love, not our loveless but hard-worked sacrifice.
Working wisely and not wastefully, therefore, is about understanding God's purposes for us, knowing the ways we are to achieve these purposes, obeying the ALMIGHTY in that, and always nurturing a heart to follow the LORD; every good path.
One underestimated way of working wisely is through the cherishing and cultivation of our families.
INVEST IN FAMILY
Verses 3-5 offer immense encouragement to devoted family men and family women; fathers and mothers. The enemy of God, instead, sows a seed in our minds that family isn't enough.
Ambition gets in the way, due to envy, pride, or greed; or comfort via motives of sloth. For many, the blessings of family are not enough or too much work.
But as we learned in the first two verses, the LORD can strip to null all the outputs of years - even decades - of our toil. This is accorded to the generalisation that we haven't worked for the LORD'S purposes. (Of course, some very godly people have worked hard in the Kingdom and have still lost all; as an exception, this psalm doesn't apply there.)
The ancient Near-East culture, which is the founding context of this psalm, valued at the pinnacle, family. The family name in the community was paramount, as was the community itself. This was no individualistic culture that we find in our world, in most westernised countries, today.
For an ancient Near-East person to read the words of this section was a strong encouragement and affirmation to build and blossom the family. A great blessing it was to have children in abundance and to earn peace for a good night's rest.
Humility is the message of this psalm.
If we walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8) we will be blessed with the finest of blessings - generally, in the form of family. There may be no finer blessing, in this world, than the enrichment of family. Simple blessings are the best of blessings.
� 2011 S. J. Wickham.
Steve Wickham is a Registered Safety Practitioner (BSc, FSIA, RSP[Australia]) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His blogs are at: [http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/]http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/ and http://inspiringbetterlife.blogspot.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Psalm-127---Children-Are-A-Heritage-of-the-LORD&id=6673385] Psalm 127 - Children Are A Heritage of the LORD
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
~Psalm 127:1-2 (NRSV).
Finding our way to the middle of the Songs of Ascent, this one goes to the heart of the truth surrounding investment - time, effort, resources etc.
Reading this psalm there is a strong reminiscence of Psalm 1.
There are five verses; two of which (above) speak to the negative as a warning - effort without God's anointing goes unrewarded, ultimately - whilst three more speak of the blessings enfolded to the family man and woman trusting in the basics-of-abundance of the LORD.
The only difference is Psalm 1 speaks about blessing first; then concludes in cursing of the sinner who hasn't heeded the warnings of life. The theme, however, is strikingly similar:
Blessings there will be for the faithful; curses will be the lot of the unfaithful.
WORK WISELY NOT WASTEFULLY
The two verses profiled atop speak such a valuable Proverbs-like truth.
There are infinite ways to make a quick buck, or even swindle our way through life, but that way is destined to failure.
Not only that; even if we set out on a path to serve God by our works, those works won't be blessed if our motive was wrong in the beginning - if we, by our works, had an agenda for ourselves.
As is the recurrent theme through the Old Book, the LORD seeks our love, not our loveless but hard-worked sacrifice.
Working wisely and not wastefully, therefore, is about understanding God's purposes for us, knowing the ways we are to achieve these purposes, obeying the ALMIGHTY in that, and always nurturing a heart to follow the LORD; every good path.
One underestimated way of working wisely is through the cherishing and cultivation of our families.
INVEST IN FAMILY
Verses 3-5 offer immense encouragement to devoted family men and family women; fathers and mothers. The enemy of God, instead, sows a seed in our minds that family isn't enough.
Ambition gets in the way, due to envy, pride, or greed; or comfort via motives of sloth. For many, the blessings of family are not enough or too much work.
But as we learned in the first two verses, the LORD can strip to null all the outputs of years - even decades - of our toil. This is accorded to the generalisation that we haven't worked for the LORD'S purposes. (Of course, some very godly people have worked hard in the Kingdom and have still lost all; as an exception, this psalm doesn't apply there.)
The ancient Near-East culture, which is the founding context of this psalm, valued at the pinnacle, family. The family name in the community was paramount, as was the community itself. This was no individualistic culture that we find in our world, in most westernised countries, today.
For an ancient Near-East person to read the words of this section was a strong encouragement and affirmation to build and blossom the family. A great blessing it was to have children in abundance and to earn peace for a good night's rest.
Humility is the message of this psalm.
If we walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8) we will be blessed with the finest of blessings - generally, in the form of family. There may be no finer blessing, in this world, than the enrichment of family. Simple blessings are the best of blessings.
� 2011 S. J. Wickham.
Steve Wickham is a Registered Safety Practitioner (BSc, FSIA, RSP[Australia]) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His blogs are at: [http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/]http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/ and http://inspiringbetterlife.blogspot.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Psalm-127---Children-Are-A-Heritage-of-the-LORD&id=6673385] Psalm 127 - Children Are A Heritage of the LORD
Thursday, February 9, 2012
How to Succeed by Developing Intuition
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jill_Magso]Jill Magso
By developing intuition you can give yourself an inspiring upper hand in your life. But the development of intuition in your life is not a difficult task. If you have some time to meditate by meditation you can develop intuition. By meditation you can learn to listen to your inner sense of feeling or guidance. Whenever some weird feeling comes to your mind you must give some attention to it and as soon as you start giving attention you will find that your intuition is speaking to you more loudly.
You have noticed sometimes that when you are traveling a new place you want to listen to your inner voice so that you can get some important information which will be beneficial for you at that time. Some people believe that intuition is a talent or a skill that is posed by some people. But it is a natural skill with which everyone is born and some people have more intuitive feeling where as some has less. But as you grow old the chance to develop intuition decreases and this is because of the reason that the societies in which you live, your cultural believes as well as values force you to ignore your natural inner capabilities.
The intuition sometimes helps you to make some wise decision in your life. So if you want to tap your intuition then you can take the help of meditation. Because meditation can help you in rectifying your inner self i.e. it help you in knowing or understanding who you are. But most of the time it is found that you neglect your inner voice who guides you to deal a situation. You should never neglect your inner voice as you inner voice guides you in a genuine manner about how to tackle a situation. Intuition always guides you to take a correct path and it can even warn you of danger and it helps you to get connected with your creativity. In a study it has been proved that all of the successful people go with their intuitive feeling rather than going with other word.
When you develop intuition then it gives you the ability to look at others so that you can know about what they know. Your intuition allows you to look at your inner self so that you can find the answers of some of your unsolved queries and the intuition also gives you some strength to act boldly on something based on the guidance of your inner self. To be intuitive you have to first trust yourself. If you pay deep attention on your inner guidance then it will help you to think about anything clearly which make you to take some critical decision easily.
If you can develop intuition then it can lead you towards the right path in your life. The best way to develop intuition in you is that you should always try to think positive as this will attract positive energy towards you and thus you will be able to recognize the feelings around you. When you are trying to take decision about a situation you should always be very attentive to your first impression as this is your inner voice guidance. [http://www.silvaintuitionsystem.com/articles/intuition/developing-intuition]developing intuition
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Succeed-by-Developing-Intuition&id=6672437] How to Succeed by Developing Intuition
By developing intuition you can give yourself an inspiring upper hand in your life. But the development of intuition in your life is not a difficult task. If you have some time to meditate by meditation you can develop intuition. By meditation you can learn to listen to your inner sense of feeling or guidance. Whenever some weird feeling comes to your mind you must give some attention to it and as soon as you start giving attention you will find that your intuition is speaking to you more loudly.
You have noticed sometimes that when you are traveling a new place you want to listen to your inner voice so that you can get some important information which will be beneficial for you at that time. Some people believe that intuition is a talent or a skill that is posed by some people. But it is a natural skill with which everyone is born and some people have more intuitive feeling where as some has less. But as you grow old the chance to develop intuition decreases and this is because of the reason that the societies in which you live, your cultural believes as well as values force you to ignore your natural inner capabilities.
The intuition sometimes helps you to make some wise decision in your life. So if you want to tap your intuition then you can take the help of meditation. Because meditation can help you in rectifying your inner self i.e. it help you in knowing or understanding who you are. But most of the time it is found that you neglect your inner voice who guides you to deal a situation. You should never neglect your inner voice as you inner voice guides you in a genuine manner about how to tackle a situation. Intuition always guides you to take a correct path and it can even warn you of danger and it helps you to get connected with your creativity. In a study it has been proved that all of the successful people go with their intuitive feeling rather than going with other word.
When you develop intuition then it gives you the ability to look at others so that you can know about what they know. Your intuition allows you to look at your inner self so that you can find the answers of some of your unsolved queries and the intuition also gives you some strength to act boldly on something based on the guidance of your inner self. To be intuitive you have to first trust yourself. If you pay deep attention on your inner guidance then it will help you to think about anything clearly which make you to take some critical decision easily.
If you can develop intuition then it can lead you towards the right path in your life. The best way to develop intuition in you is that you should always try to think positive as this will attract positive energy towards you and thus you will be able to recognize the feelings around you. When you are trying to take decision about a situation you should always be very attentive to your first impression as this is your inner voice guidance. [http://www.silvaintuitionsystem.com/articles/intuition/developing-intuition]developing intuition
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Succeed-by-Developing-Intuition&id=6672437] How to Succeed by Developing Intuition
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Hate Is Hell, Love Is Heaven
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Clayton]Joshua Clayton
Love is a force, and hate is an absence of that force. Hate is not a force at all, but just a default to fear. Understand, ultimately love creates what is desired in every way. From productive inventions to good thoughts and actions, love of life and existence is power. Love is the ultimate strength. Love enough to create good things is always a powerful force. Each little loving thought and action I do understand is a bit of heaven in life and existence. When multiplied, love of any sort is pure heaven.
Love is creative in the ultimate sense, not just as a feeling, but as a reality of life and existence. From spending minutes feeling good in the morning to creating a great work of art for months or years, or taking an action filled with love and benefit, love is not just a feeling, it is a creative power. Sure, this is a simple article about a seemingly simple emotion. But, when we consider just how much love and gratitude have come up with in life and existence in the sense of value and creativity, we are blessed and gifted with the most complex, powerful, compelling and wonderful energy in existence which is love.
So, let us get hate out of our minds, despite it seeming like work to do so, hate is just plain laziness, not an energy or a force really. Do you notice how war is the last result when other, better ideas "do not work"? Do you notice a certain lazy energy in being destructive or not creative? Well, when you understand that you have the road to understanding the force of love, what it does and why it does it. So, my reality is that love takes strength, hate defaults to weakness. It is not only my experience, yes, but my genuine reality. Love comes up with ideas, hate defaults to a fight or conflict. That is also a reality. Think about this concept first before you act on this concept. Ideas are created through love and patient understanding, not by hate and rush. In fact, the only thing that circumvents the law of cause and effect mostly is patience, grace and perseverance or doing what needs to be done without fear or judgement, but just understanding. Hate is just to quit and not understand a situation fully anyhow when really looked at for what it is. Some of the best values were not arrived at by some because of hate and quitting. When you understand that statement, you understand what I mean by hate is always lazy and love is always productive. Give love and you will get it back.
My name is Joshua Clayton, I am a freelance writer based in Inglewood, California. I also write under a few pen-names and aliases, but Joshua Clayton is my real name, and I write by that for the most part now. I am a philosophical writer and objective thinker and honest action taker.
I also work at a senior center in Gardena, California as my day job, among other things, but primarily I am a writer.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Hate-Is-Hell,-Love-Is-Heaven&id=6672960] Hate Is Hell, Love Is Heaven
Love is a force, and hate is an absence of that force. Hate is not a force at all, but just a default to fear. Understand, ultimately love creates what is desired in every way. From productive inventions to good thoughts and actions, love of life and existence is power. Love is the ultimate strength. Love enough to create good things is always a powerful force. Each little loving thought and action I do understand is a bit of heaven in life and existence. When multiplied, love of any sort is pure heaven.
Love is creative in the ultimate sense, not just as a feeling, but as a reality of life and existence. From spending minutes feeling good in the morning to creating a great work of art for months or years, or taking an action filled with love and benefit, love is not just a feeling, it is a creative power. Sure, this is a simple article about a seemingly simple emotion. But, when we consider just how much love and gratitude have come up with in life and existence in the sense of value and creativity, we are blessed and gifted with the most complex, powerful, compelling and wonderful energy in existence which is love.
So, let us get hate out of our minds, despite it seeming like work to do so, hate is just plain laziness, not an energy or a force really. Do you notice how war is the last result when other, better ideas "do not work"? Do you notice a certain lazy energy in being destructive or not creative? Well, when you understand that you have the road to understanding the force of love, what it does and why it does it. So, my reality is that love takes strength, hate defaults to weakness. It is not only my experience, yes, but my genuine reality. Love comes up with ideas, hate defaults to a fight or conflict. That is also a reality. Think about this concept first before you act on this concept. Ideas are created through love and patient understanding, not by hate and rush. In fact, the only thing that circumvents the law of cause and effect mostly is patience, grace and perseverance or doing what needs to be done without fear or judgement, but just understanding. Hate is just to quit and not understand a situation fully anyhow when really looked at for what it is. Some of the best values were not arrived at by some because of hate and quitting. When you understand that statement, you understand what I mean by hate is always lazy and love is always productive. Give love and you will get it back.
My name is Joshua Clayton, I am a freelance writer based in Inglewood, California. I also write under a few pen-names and aliases, but Joshua Clayton is my real name, and I write by that for the most part now. I am a philosophical writer and objective thinker and honest action taker.
I also work at a senior center in Gardena, California as my day job, among other things, but primarily I am a writer.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Hate-Is-Hell,-Love-Is-Heaven&id=6672960] Hate Is Hell, Love Is Heaven
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Are You 'In Time' For Spiritual Enquiry?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Steve_Wickham]Steve Wickham
In Time (2011) is a motion picture dealing with the currency of time in a world where you earn time and spend it - run out of time and you're dead. Time is a concept hedged in morality; it is the ultimate thing speaking for life and death.
Those living their lives in the ghetto live with a day - or even hours - on their forearm clocks, whereas those living in New Greenwich (which is out of reach for those in the ghetto) have hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of years on their clocks.
Ghetto life necessitates the survival instinct because the risk of death is so imminent. Those in New Greenwich, though, may never die and therefore usually don't live.
The spiritual paradox in this: we can go through life busied by many things - work, pleasure, placating people, running from one thing to another - and never live.
OPEN OR CLOSED?
Real living is, of a sense, about spiritual enquiry.
When we are open to spiritual enquiry the gateway to life is also opened.
As we shun the spirit within each of us, little by little we die, despite our prospects, cash flow, friendships and allegiances, reputations and fame, or anything else. Indeed, the world gives us copious excuses to run from the ever enquiring spirit deep inside.
When we are open, however, abundance from spiritual enquiry is afforded. We are 'in time' with the right purpose.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL ENQUIRY, AND HOW DO WE ACHIEVE IT?
Where do we start in describing this process of approaching the truth about ourselves, our world, and God, no less?
Spiritual enquiry may be the process of truthful reflection whereby we allow God to search us and reveal himself to us. This compels us to take note and to think and act differently.
Most times this doesn't happen without either a concerted effort or the will to surrender to God, beyond the busyness. We make time for it or we don't. When we don't make time for it, only we lose. We can know our Bibles back to front and still not be living 'in time'.
Being 'in time' is being alive in this world; not by the beating of our hearts so much as the vibrancy of our spiritual heartbeat. We merely exist or we truly live.
Living is conditional on our spirituality and spiritual enquiry is a way to bring us the life; because it aligns us to the truth. We become challenged and encouraged; not bored, distracted or bewildered.
Being 'in time' is a decision we make each moment - it's contingent on our spiritual enquiry. If we're not interested in such enquiry, God will not give us life. But if we are, God will not rest until we have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
� 2011 S. J. Wickham.
Steve Wickham is a Registered Safety Practitioner (BSc, FSIA, RSP[Australia]) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His blogs are at: [http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/]http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/ and http://inspiringbetterlife.blogspot.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-You-In-Time-For-Spiritual-Enquiry?&id=6673683] Are You 'In Time' For Spiritual Enquiry?
In Time (2011) is a motion picture dealing with the currency of time in a world where you earn time and spend it - run out of time and you're dead. Time is a concept hedged in morality; it is the ultimate thing speaking for life and death.
Those living their lives in the ghetto live with a day - or even hours - on their forearm clocks, whereas those living in New Greenwich (which is out of reach for those in the ghetto) have hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of years on their clocks.
Ghetto life necessitates the survival instinct because the risk of death is so imminent. Those in New Greenwich, though, may never die and therefore usually don't live.
The spiritual paradox in this: we can go through life busied by many things - work, pleasure, placating people, running from one thing to another - and never live.
OPEN OR CLOSED?
Real living is, of a sense, about spiritual enquiry.
When we are open to spiritual enquiry the gateway to life is also opened.
As we shun the spirit within each of us, little by little we die, despite our prospects, cash flow, friendships and allegiances, reputations and fame, or anything else. Indeed, the world gives us copious excuses to run from the ever enquiring spirit deep inside.
When we are open, however, abundance from spiritual enquiry is afforded. We are 'in time' with the right purpose.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL ENQUIRY, AND HOW DO WE ACHIEVE IT?
Where do we start in describing this process of approaching the truth about ourselves, our world, and God, no less?
Spiritual enquiry may be the process of truthful reflection whereby we allow God to search us and reveal himself to us. This compels us to take note and to think and act differently.
Most times this doesn't happen without either a concerted effort or the will to surrender to God, beyond the busyness. We make time for it or we don't. When we don't make time for it, only we lose. We can know our Bibles back to front and still not be living 'in time'.
Being 'in time' is being alive in this world; not by the beating of our hearts so much as the vibrancy of our spiritual heartbeat. We merely exist or we truly live.
Living is conditional on our spirituality and spiritual enquiry is a way to bring us the life; because it aligns us to the truth. We become challenged and encouraged; not bored, distracted or bewildered.
Being 'in time' is a decision we make each moment - it's contingent on our spiritual enquiry. If we're not interested in such enquiry, God will not give us life. But if we are, God will not rest until we have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
� 2011 S. J. Wickham.
Steve Wickham is a Registered Safety Practitioner (BSc, FSIA, RSP[Australia]) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His blogs are at: [http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/]http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/ and http://inspiringbetterlife.blogspot.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-You-In-Time-For-Spiritual-Enquiry?&id=6673683] Are You 'In Time' For Spiritual Enquiry?
Friday, February 3, 2012
Christian Meditations
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ronald_G_Heron]Ronald G Heron
Christian guided meditations can help the day pass more easily and pleasurably, and your outlook will be improved, while strengthening your determination and faith. Via the Internet it is possible to get daily words of wisdom for living a Christian life even when the world sometimes doesn't seem like such a friendly place. Whether you are experiencing trouble on the job or facing financial problems it can help restore your balance, and let your faith guided life become happier on a daily basis, and find peace.
With Christian guided meditations, you can pray, relax or make positive affirmations. When you mediate on God, your problems will likely seem minor and you then enjoy the benefit of a higher level of awareness sharing your heavy burden. Whether you are reading your daily affirmations or listening to positive and uplifting pieces of faith related advice on a CD, it's easier to put your problems into perspective and see your true priorities in correct proportion and order. While enjoying a spiritual journey, there are positive and uplifting techniques to relax, pray and affirm.
On the Internet you can find CDs, MP3 versions and even free video clips of Christian guided meditations. When you relax and focus on God, your fears can be minimized and your faith can be strengthened. It certainly helps to clear the negative self talk that might be cluttering your mind because of negative circumstances, it can also be helpful to turn your day around through the use of uplifting spiritual food.
When searching for biblical verses that have a modern interpretation, there are many Christian books, but you can use your personal computer to listen to faith-based music or watch beautiful and relaxing scenery pictures that are awe-inspiring and set to biblical verses and your favorite hymns. Having a sensory experience for the eyes and ears is input into your very being, indeed your heart and soul.
It has been said that the best way to experience and get to know God is to be still and listen. The famous verse of scripture in the Bible telling us just that. With these relaxing tools, you can strengthen your faith and your resolve. If you are facing a crisis, you can reinforce your faith and skillfully overcome any obstacles that may be causing you stress and grief. As a form of communion with God, it has been said that meditating is a part of the prayer which also allows reflection.
When you reflect on the biblical meaning of your dilemma, you may learn to see your challenges as tests of your faith to be overcome. Most people enjoy some form of relaxation or meditation, in order to relieve daily stress and challenging situations. With positive and God focused meditating, your faith allows you to use reflection, study and practice, to interpret the meaning of your personal challenges, from a faith-based understanding.
When you want to relax and relieve the daily stress you may be faced with, prayer can take on many forms, but meditating on God's teachings can be a way to put things into perspective. With Christian guided meditations, you can get a daily dose of your faith and you can apply the principles to your challenges throughout the whole day.
About the author: Ronald Heron has for many years benefited from balanced living, with daily time for meditation.
Website: http://www.marshillbaptisttn.org
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Christian-Meditations&id=6672141] Christian Meditations
Christian guided meditations can help the day pass more easily and pleasurably, and your outlook will be improved, while strengthening your determination and faith. Via the Internet it is possible to get daily words of wisdom for living a Christian life even when the world sometimes doesn't seem like such a friendly place. Whether you are experiencing trouble on the job or facing financial problems it can help restore your balance, and let your faith guided life become happier on a daily basis, and find peace.
With Christian guided meditations, you can pray, relax or make positive affirmations. When you mediate on God, your problems will likely seem minor and you then enjoy the benefit of a higher level of awareness sharing your heavy burden. Whether you are reading your daily affirmations or listening to positive and uplifting pieces of faith related advice on a CD, it's easier to put your problems into perspective and see your true priorities in correct proportion and order. While enjoying a spiritual journey, there are positive and uplifting techniques to relax, pray and affirm.
On the Internet you can find CDs, MP3 versions and even free video clips of Christian guided meditations. When you relax and focus on God, your fears can be minimized and your faith can be strengthened. It certainly helps to clear the negative self talk that might be cluttering your mind because of negative circumstances, it can also be helpful to turn your day around through the use of uplifting spiritual food.
When searching for biblical verses that have a modern interpretation, there are many Christian books, but you can use your personal computer to listen to faith-based music or watch beautiful and relaxing scenery pictures that are awe-inspiring and set to biblical verses and your favorite hymns. Having a sensory experience for the eyes and ears is input into your very being, indeed your heart and soul.
It has been said that the best way to experience and get to know God is to be still and listen. The famous verse of scripture in the Bible telling us just that. With these relaxing tools, you can strengthen your faith and your resolve. If you are facing a crisis, you can reinforce your faith and skillfully overcome any obstacles that may be causing you stress and grief. As a form of communion with God, it has been said that meditating is a part of the prayer which also allows reflection.
When you reflect on the biblical meaning of your dilemma, you may learn to see your challenges as tests of your faith to be overcome. Most people enjoy some form of relaxation or meditation, in order to relieve daily stress and challenging situations. With positive and God focused meditating, your faith allows you to use reflection, study and practice, to interpret the meaning of your personal challenges, from a faith-based understanding.
When you want to relax and relieve the daily stress you may be faced with, prayer can take on many forms, but meditating on God's teachings can be a way to put things into perspective. With Christian guided meditations, you can get a daily dose of your faith and you can apply the principles to your challenges throughout the whole day.
About the author: Ronald Heron has for many years benefited from balanced living, with daily time for meditation.
Website: http://www.marshillbaptisttn.org
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Christian-Meditations&id=6672141] Christian Meditations
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Happiness Is Not Everything
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joseph_A_Clark]Joseph A Clark
There is a great deal of time and effort spent by many people today looking for happiness. This is a search that will take you down many roads. If happiness through the love of a companion is what you want there are a number of dating services and self help books to guide your path. If happiness through great wealth is what you're after, work hard and make wise decisions and this can be your reality. The list of things that can bring happiness goes on for miles. As mentioned in the first example it is not limited to worldly goods. The search for happiness can start with good intentions. The question is; is happiness of any kind what we really need
Happiness is defined as a state of well being and contentment: a pleasurable or satisfying experience. While this is a noble goal to have, for a Christian it falls short of what is promised to us. Happiness deals with feelings and momentary pleasure. When we seek after happiness we are losing focus on the big picture. We settle for the here and now.What looks good? What feels right? What will bring me a pleasurable or satisfying experience? What will make me happy? This type of thinking is especially dangerous for the Christian believer. As Christians we must have a long term view of our lives. Does this mean that God does not want us to be happy? Not at all! So how do we reconcile this? We must change our way of thinking.
To do this we need to return to our foundation. A strong foundation is required for a strong house that can withstand the trials of the storms of life. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 that our foundation is Christ. We need to determine how strong that foundation is. To do this we will turn to John Chapter 3. This is where Jesus is explaining being born again. He says that a person must be born again and likens this new birth to the natural birth. He makes the statement "That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of spirit is spirit. This lays out the basic idea of being born again. Many people believe salvation is like some sort of club you can join and drop out of whenever it's convenient. Jesus clearly states it is a completely new being. This is the first step on our way to being "happy".
When you become a Christian there are a number of thing that happen to you. The Bible lays out a tried and true method to help determine if this transformation has happen to you. Many people think this method hinges on works. The more works and the better those works are, the better relationship you have. Jesus warns against this in Mathew chapter 7 when he tells a group of people, who had done many great works and even performed some gifts of the Spirit in the name of Jesus, depart from me you workers of iniquity I never knew you. If we can't rely on works or gifts to determine our salvation, then what can we look to? In the same chapter of Mathew, Jesus tells us that a tree is known by its fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Many people have tried to complicate this process, but Jesus laid it out in a simple form. Basically, if you are a Christian, then you can't help but produce the fruits of a Christian. What are the fruits? This answer will lead us to true "happiness".
For this search we need to turn to Galatians chapter 5. Here Paul lays out the fruits of the Spirit. It is this same Spirit that enters you at salvation. While reading these scriptures you will come across a fruit that many say is the same as happiness. This fruit is Joy. While the differences between happiness and Joy may appear small, these differences can lead a person in a completely different path.
Joy is defined as the emotion invoked by well being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one DESIRES. The key word is desires. At this point there needs to be an explanation of the difference between desire and want. To want something is to have a "feeling" of need for that object. To desire is to long or HOPE for that object. Wanting is not wrong, but if all you have is a feeling of need then happiness or momentary pleasure is all you can aspect. When you are born again the Holy Spirit enters you and gives you Joy which produces hope from within.
While happiness in the short term is given to the rel=nofollow [http://josephclarkblog.com/]Christian, having the Joy that only God can give is much more beneficial. In this world happiness can and will come and go, but joy is solid and not affected by the changing circumstances. To have joy is to have hope, and in this world of ever changing events hope may be just what we need.
Please understand I am not a pessimist, I believe in looking at the glass half full. I just believe having joy for the one that fills the glass is more important than being happy when the glass is full and the hope from that joy may be the only thing that saves me when the glass is almost empty.
I am a Christian writer that has learned to put God first in everything with family coming in at a close second. God has given me a unique ability to see him in the things he has made (Romans 1:20). My goal is to share this information with as many people as I can. The name of my blog is Shinning God's Light because I believe that is the job of every Christian.
May God Bless You http://www.josephclarkblog.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Happiness-Is-Not-Everything&id=6673111] Happiness Is Not Everything
There is a great deal of time and effort spent by many people today looking for happiness. This is a search that will take you down many roads. If happiness through the love of a companion is what you want there are a number of dating services and self help books to guide your path. If happiness through great wealth is what you're after, work hard and make wise decisions and this can be your reality. The list of things that can bring happiness goes on for miles. As mentioned in the first example it is not limited to worldly goods. The search for happiness can start with good intentions. The question is; is happiness of any kind what we really need
Happiness is defined as a state of well being and contentment: a pleasurable or satisfying experience. While this is a noble goal to have, for a Christian it falls short of what is promised to us. Happiness deals with feelings and momentary pleasure. When we seek after happiness we are losing focus on the big picture. We settle for the here and now.What looks good? What feels right? What will bring me a pleasurable or satisfying experience? What will make me happy? This type of thinking is especially dangerous for the Christian believer. As Christians we must have a long term view of our lives. Does this mean that God does not want us to be happy? Not at all! So how do we reconcile this? We must change our way of thinking.
To do this we need to return to our foundation. A strong foundation is required for a strong house that can withstand the trials of the storms of life. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 that our foundation is Christ. We need to determine how strong that foundation is. To do this we will turn to John Chapter 3. This is where Jesus is explaining being born again. He says that a person must be born again and likens this new birth to the natural birth. He makes the statement "That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of spirit is spirit. This lays out the basic idea of being born again. Many people believe salvation is like some sort of club you can join and drop out of whenever it's convenient. Jesus clearly states it is a completely new being. This is the first step on our way to being "happy".
When you become a Christian there are a number of thing that happen to you. The Bible lays out a tried and true method to help determine if this transformation has happen to you. Many people think this method hinges on works. The more works and the better those works are, the better relationship you have. Jesus warns against this in Mathew chapter 7 when he tells a group of people, who had done many great works and even performed some gifts of the Spirit in the name of Jesus, depart from me you workers of iniquity I never knew you. If we can't rely on works or gifts to determine our salvation, then what can we look to? In the same chapter of Mathew, Jesus tells us that a tree is known by its fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Many people have tried to complicate this process, but Jesus laid it out in a simple form. Basically, if you are a Christian, then you can't help but produce the fruits of a Christian. What are the fruits? This answer will lead us to true "happiness".
For this search we need to turn to Galatians chapter 5. Here Paul lays out the fruits of the Spirit. It is this same Spirit that enters you at salvation. While reading these scriptures you will come across a fruit that many say is the same as happiness. This fruit is Joy. While the differences between happiness and Joy may appear small, these differences can lead a person in a completely different path.
Joy is defined as the emotion invoked by well being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one DESIRES. The key word is desires. At this point there needs to be an explanation of the difference between desire and want. To want something is to have a "feeling" of need for that object. To desire is to long or HOPE for that object. Wanting is not wrong, but if all you have is a feeling of need then happiness or momentary pleasure is all you can aspect. When you are born again the Holy Spirit enters you and gives you Joy which produces hope from within.
While happiness in the short term is given to the rel=nofollow [http://josephclarkblog.com/]Christian, having the Joy that only God can give is much more beneficial. In this world happiness can and will come and go, but joy is solid and not affected by the changing circumstances. To have joy is to have hope, and in this world of ever changing events hope may be just what we need.
Please understand I am not a pessimist, I believe in looking at the glass half full. I just believe having joy for the one that fills the glass is more important than being happy when the glass is full and the hope from that joy may be the only thing that saves me when the glass is almost empty.
I am a Christian writer that has learned to put God first in everything with family coming in at a close second. God has given me a unique ability to see him in the things he has made (Romans 1:20). My goal is to share this information with as many people as I can. The name of my blog is Shinning God's Light because I believe that is the job of every Christian.
May God Bless You http://www.josephclarkblog.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Happiness-Is-Not-Everything&id=6673111] Happiness Is Not Everything
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