November 16, 2012

Comments (9)

  • The "real thing" God Himself shines far brighter than any artificial or created light. I had begun to question my own life - as to what its purpose now is since I can't get out much or work; but watching the series of messages by John Piper (I'm not through them all yet), I am learning something of that happiness Mr. Payton spoke of. No, I'm not crippled, but my budget calls for staying home most all the time. If we fail to be excited and our imagination soaring when we learn of Him, we must be dead.

  • Hi Karen, I never know what to make of this kind spiritual thinking.

    I know Believers were thrown to lions. Some today are in prison and many have been killed. Some live in hardship.  Many have terrible things happen in their families.  I have noticed that the educated Believers present this idea that the more we sufer, accept it, and/or indure hardship, it helps us be happier in God. The less educated blame the Devil for thier misfortune and try to cast him out.  Ohters just look at as the roll of of fate in life and God will use it for our good.

    It makes me feel that I owe Christians an apology because my hardships have been mostly medical and the result of poor decisions.

    Some become monks and live in tiny places to find true spirituality.

    I don't know what to make of it. It sounds very spiritual, but alas, I deal mostly with petty problems.

    Both sides dump tons of scripture on my head to prove their case.

    Love your posts, Karen--always interesting and make me think.

    Hope you have a great weekend,

    frank

  • Jesus is the light of the world and he told us that as His followers we, too, are the light of the world.  Awesome.  We need to keep that light shining brightly.  Joy is what we find in our relationship with Abba.  Enjoyed this post.  Your post always make me think--good thing.

  • @quest4god@revelife - Though it may not appear to be the case on the surface, God's ways are ALWAYS best for us, to increase our joy in Him.

    Psalm 66:8  O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: 9  Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. 10  For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 11  Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. 12  Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

    @ANVRSADDAY - Compared to many, your problems and mine do seem petty; however we know that God is the all-wise God, and He has His particular ways of dealing with each one of us. He knows exactly how to try us, to humble us, to see what's in our hearts ~ Deut. 8, with an aim to refine us and to conform us into Christ's image.

    The thing about Payson is that when he was younger, he engaged in strict fasting, and was also consumed with anxiety for revival; later on he admitted that these things did contribute to his ill health; he was only 36 years old when he died.

    Joy and suffering are intertwined in the Christian life ~ Romans 5:1-11; II Cor. 1; Col. 1:24. The more we suffer, the more we are driven to Christ. Paul saw the fellowship of Christ's sufferings as a vital aspect of knowing Christ (Phil. 3). None of us would choose to suffer, but that's part of God's design for us (Phil. 1:29), as it was for His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ ~ Hebrews 13:12-13.

    @stephensmustang - If we're not finding joy in Christ, we won't be shining as He intends!

    We all need to be challenged and to challenge one another to think Biblically, so we might be transformed into Christ's image ~ Romans 12:1-2.

  • @naphtali_deer - Absolutely.  We can always find joy in Christ even in the storms and dificult times.  It is such a difference in joy and happiness. 

  • @stephensmustang - "It is such a difference in joy and happiness."  Yes, when define happiness as fleeting, fleshly, worldly happiness (which I know you do).

    I really would love for the Church to reclaim the rightful use of words "happy" and "happiness"! The devil has so many souls hoodwinked. He wants us to believe the lie that God does not want us to be happy (e.g. - see Genesis 3 and the fall), but that's so very far from the truth. God is not at all against our happiness, so long as that happiness is rooted in and flows from Him. Any happiness we may find apart from Him will diminish and exclude God, and that is no true happiness.

    Psalm 146:5 you'll often find translated, "Blessed..." but the Hebrew word there is "esher," meaning "happy."  "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God" (KJV).

    Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

    From Strong's Concordance:

    be glad = probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome:--cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy(-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, X very.

    rejoice = to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion), i.e. usually rejoice, or (as cringing) fear:--be glad, joy, be joyful, rejoice

    shout for joy = to creak (or emit a stridulous sound), i.e. to shout (usually for joy):--aloud for joy, cry out, be joyful (greatly, make to) rejoice, (cause to) shout (for joy), (cause to) sing (aloud, for joy, out), triumph.

    Thanks for bearing with me here, dear sister, this is one of my pet peeves. :)   (((hugs)))

  • My initial reaction:  A) Considering the daily "Romans 7-like" struggles, it shouldn't take someone's physical health beginning to go p0ermanently downhill before the "spiritual wake-up call" is heeded by that individual.

    B)  I wonder how would Payson respond if such a person were to have regrets over not following the recommendation of King Solomon ("Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.")

  • @WLCALUM - Re: A): I'm not sure if you're specifically referring to Payson or not, but he actually had had several experiences of the love of God prior to this time in his life; he had come to know Christ to be his exceeding Joy. We have to remember that apart from God's grace, any one of us can all be overtaken and hindered by pride and spiritual dullness/malaise/blindness and unable to respond to God's calls until we get taken down so very far. And absolutely any iota of movement of ours towards God is all of His grace. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."

    Re: B): I do think Payson would definitely agree with Solomon's words there.

    (I've still not gotten to watching those videos... she says sheepishly... )
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naphtali_deer

About me...

Christian hedonist in training. Pressing on to know more and more of the joy of the LORD. Pleading with God to rend the heavens and revive and refresh my own soul, as well as His Church, to His praise, honor and glory.

Thank God. He can make men and women in middle life sing again with a joy that has been chastened by a memory of their past failures. ~ Alan Redpath

My other websites

tent of meeting: Prayer for reformation & revival

(See also Zechariah821. Zechariah821 is a mirror site of tent of meeting, found on WordPress)

deerlifetrumpet: Encouragement for those seeking reformation & revival in the Church

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