happiness depends on circumstances

Nehemiah 8:10. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

What a great day to be alive my people! And some of you might beg to differ because it’s cold, cloudy, icy and snowy. But that’s just our physical circumstances and we can always handle those, sometimes on our own, but always with the help of Jesus. Otherwise, it’s just great to have the breath of life flowing through us, to enjoy all the things that the Lord has created for us to enjoy and know that our names are not written in the obits. (smile) And today is the epitome of what a lazy Saturday ought to look like, when one won’t venture out unless it’s absolutely necessary. (smile)

Well, I’ve used up all my allotted laziness, lying in bed for most of the morning, (smile) so now I have to get right to the Lord’s work on the Bit. And since today is Saturday, it means looking at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first quote says: ‘When you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worthwhile.’

Now, that’s not rocket science but basic common sense. For with the great power of imagination that God’s placed in us, where we can imagine basically anything, why would we ever consider imagining anything that’s not worthwhile eh? Technically speaking we shouldn’t, but it seems to depend on the way our minds are conditioned, which means some things that are worthwhile to some, won’t be worthwhile to others. And the obvious example is what’s worthwhile to Satan’s followers will not be worthwhile to the followers of Jesus.

That brings us to the next quote which tells us: ‘The moment where you doubt you can fly, you cease for ever being able to do it.’ There again we have the power of the imagination coming into play. And for sure, if you start doubting that you can fly, or do much of anything, you will lose some of the ability to do it, because being able to do stuff is tightly bound up in believing that we can do it. I don’t know if you will lose the ability for ever, but hopefully if you start believing again, you will regain some, if not all of that flying power.

Then there’s this: ‘What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.’ Now I’m not sure what that quote means nuh. I understand that our past and present are usually inferior to our future, but what does it mean by what lies inside of us? If greatness lies within us, then we will surely do greater things in our future than we’re currently doing. The only greater thing that I can fathom that lies within us is the Holy Spirit of Jesus which indwells all believers. But even if that’s what the quote means, then surely, with the Spirit of Christ living in us, as we mature, grow in faith, our actions will become better as time goes on.

And I just LOVE this next quote: ‘Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Happiness is never decreased by being shared! In fact, it increases when shared. But let’s talk about joy rather than happiness nuh, because happiness depends too much on our circumstances, while joy is like an ever-flowing river, not bothered by our circumstances. And where do we get that joy that’s not bothered by our circumstances? Obviously from our Lord God Almighty, as the Good Book reminds us: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)

Oh friends, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects His followers to share the joy that He’s brought to our lives with others; to light the blessed candles of joy in others, so that they too can come to know that He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one gains real happiness, or joy without being associated with Him! And what’s this ‘joy of the Lord,’ you ask? It’s been characterized thus: ‘The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.’

And there are many scriptures that speak of it, but we only have time and space for a few. Listen to Christ Himself as He speaks to the disciples. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) Yes friends, one of the things that come from believing in Christ and being obedient to His commandments is the outpouring of joy in one’s soul. And John wrote the same thing in his first epistle when he reassures the believers in the truth of salvation and eternal life. ‘And these things I write unto you, that your joy may be full.’ (1 John 1:4)

As the scholars say, John wants the recipients of his writings to ‘enjoy and share in the deep sense of satisfaction and purpose that knowing Christ and walking with him brings.’ The same thing applies to us today my faithful brethren. We ought to get a deep sense of satisfaction and purpose from knowing Christ and walking with Him.

That brings us to our last quote. ‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.’ And is that ever so true! It’s also what Christ’s church and individual believers are suffering greatly from in these turbulent and difficult times. We talk a good talk, but don’t sufficiently walk the walk that talk expects.

As James so rightly says: ‘But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding (observing) his natural face in a glass (mirror). For he beholdeth (sees) himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty (the teachings of Christ), and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does).’ (James 1:22-25)

Yes friends, we do have a tendency of looking at ourselves as good people, but soon forget it and then do things contrary to that nature. And James continues with our contrariness in the next chapter, when he says: ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed, be ye filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath no works, is dead, being alone…show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2:14-18)

Ah my fellow saints, in this strife filled world so many are in desperate need of daily bread, and so many of us are in a position to provide for them, but we’re not doing a good enough job at it. We are allowing the selfishness and greed of this world to make us hardhearted, instead of tender-hearted like Christ expects of us. Please, let’s look at ourselves in the mirror today and remember what kind of person we truly ought to be, as faithful believers in Christ Jesus. Much LOVE!

…you can’t be a Christian…if you’re joyless…and have a heart of stone…

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2 Timothy 3:12. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Ah my people, our lazy Saturday is here! But the ole fella has not been lazy this morning. He’s been up and about his Father’s business early. By my standards, I went to bed early, (smile) so I’m up at a reasonable hour on this somewhat cloudy first Saturday in November, in this crazy, unpredictable year of 2022.

But it seems the sun will shine through eventually, so let’s just give thanks to our heavenly Father for causing us to be alive today and go on our merry way rejoicing in His awesome LOVE and friendship! And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord, for His goodness to the children of men!’ Wise words indeed my fellow believers.

Now, let’s turn to the task at hand, deciphering the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And since he’s only sent us three, hopefully today’s Bit will be shorter than usual. (smile) And the first one tells us: ‘You don’t have to be defined or confined by your environment, by your family circumstances, and certainly not by your race or gender.’

That statement does seem to be of some significance, especially in light of the machinations in our current society where we are constantly being pigeonholed, placed in an ever smaller box for identification purposes. I don’t know why what we look like, where we come from or the class of our family is all that important, but nowadays, those factors seem to be getting more important rather than less, as you’d expect in a global multicultural society.

Is that devil’s doing, or the anti-Christ’s, or some new world order trying to narrow down our demographics so that they can pick out a chosen few of a certain type? Who knows. The important thing though is that your race, creed, gender, family circumstances, none of that really matters. The only thing that matters is that you are a child of the Most High God Jehovah! That’s because His kingdom includes everybody, and He makes no distinction as per your background, but is only interested in your going forward, your future.

And we can see that in Peter’s words to the early Christians. ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (God’s own special people); that ye should show forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness into his marvellous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’ (1 Pet. 2:9-10)

Yes friends, with the miraculous coming of Jesus, ALL barriers have been broken down and we are now one nation unto God, regardless of our colour creed, gender race or whatever definition you want to choose. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians. ‘But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes (once) were far off are made nigh (near) by the blood of Christ. For he (himself) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (division) between us.’ (Eph. 2:13-14)

Isn’t that wonderful! The shedding of Christ’s blood at Calvary broke down the walls between Jews and Gentiles, making us all, the ONE church of Christ. So please let’s not allow them to define us as anything but children of God, because that’s who we are above everything else.

Now, the second quote says: ‘We all have problems. But it’s not what happens to us, [it’s] the choices we make after.’ And that’s true to a large extent. In many cases it’s our reaction to our problems that causes us more pain and sorrow than the problems themselves. That’s why it’s always necessary to have a good attitude when problems surface. And though that’s easier said than done, if you are a child of God, a follower of Christ Jesus, He will enable you to bear up under any problem that comes against you.

As He faithfully declares (yesss!!!) in John 16:33: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ Wow! What an awesome promise! And if we believe Him, then when problems arise, we won’t be running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but be able to adopt a good and sensible attitude towards them, and handle them successfully with God’s help.

Please note that Christ did not say we won’t have problems, but rather the opposite, we WILL have tribulations in this world, especially if you are a believer in Christ. And Bruh Paul confirmed that in his second missive to Timothy. ‘Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ (2 Tim. 3:12)

But then, to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul makes this most important and definitive statement. ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) How wonderful it is to know that despite the many problems we will face in this life, that Jesus will help us to handle them with a good attitude.

And the last quote says: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ There’s much truth to that also, because we just can’t sit down and expect to be happy, since the world doesn’t generously give out happiness, but rather tribulations. So, for happiness to exist in our lives, we must actively make ourselves happy. That’s do things that will make us happy.

However, not everything that makes us happy is good for us. And too often happiness depends more on our circumstances than our normal way of life. Meaning that happiness is not always a persistent frame of mind, but very liable to change as our circumstances do. But when we talk about joy…then that’s an entirely different story! For joy is a basic way of life; a stable and steady perspective that doesn’t change with our circumstances. And we can only have true joy with Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of our lives.

That takes us back to our earlier conversation on handling problems, about having a good attitude towards our lives in general, and problems in particular. And it’s only with the peace and satisfaction found in Jesus is that possible. That means our biggest and most important need in this life is to find Jesus and stick to Him like white on rice! When we do that, our joy will overflow, and we will enjoy the abundant life He died for us to have. Much LOVE!

…Jesus is the answer…to everything in our lives…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 November 2022 2 Timothy 3:12.

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