"The Pursuit of Happiness"
Life is not easy and it was not planned by God to be easy. Jesus many times indicated and told people to "...take up your cross and follow me" (*4). His way is not easy and Jesus never spoke of happiness; never is it recorded in the Gospels that He spoke the word 'happy'. But, He spoke of Joy(*3), often.
In a life of Seeking the Kingdom we are promised Joy but not happiness. I am sorry but 'happy' is not a fruit of the Spirit(*1) and the word 'happy' in the Greek is never found on the lips of Jesus, but, Praise God, we do find Joy in a life with Christ and Joy as a fruit of the Spirit- a Gift of God! There will be days of happiness in our current circumstances, but Trusting God, Living in Christ, Seeking the Spirit brings eternal Joy.
In that Joy we find Peace of Mind and Contentment, and
The key to Joy and the other Spiritual fruits is
not the "Pursuit of Happiness", but
not the "Pursuit of Happiness", but
the Pursuit of God's Kingdom for our daily lives.
Seeking the Kingdom
Which then brings us to the point of this writing. What is the primary process and behaviors in 'Seeking the Kingdom"? Bible Study is of great importance in Seeking the Kingdom, but for this message, I emphasize what Jesus taught us.
After accepting Jesus as Our Lord and Savior,
perhaps the single most important behavior we do
perhaps the single most important behavior we do
to Seek God's Kingdom in our lives is
Obedient Patient Persistent Praying
for Solutions of our Needs.
In this behavior, we will indeed find
Joy in the Kingdom
and
maybe some Happiness along the way.
and
maybe some Happiness along the way.
Prayer and asking others to pray for issues in our lives shows Trust in God.
In our Prayers,
In our communications with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit,
we come
to know and Trust God,
to know and Trust God,
Love Jesus, and
Seek the Holy Spirit;
leading to maturing in our faith.
leading to maturing in our faith.
We can read the Bible as we should, but without prayer
we will never totally understand the words and
see the vision of the words for our lives.
We can do the behaviors as Jesus taught,
we can love others as He taught us,
we can even believe in the resurrection, But.
But, without prayer
we will never know Him as we can,
we can never feel the true Joy of serving others,
we can never feel God in our lives as He desires for us,
we can never love Jesus as we can,
we can never understand
the leadings,
pushings,
pushings,
and nudgings of the Holy Spirit as we should;
All of this comes best through our prayers,
our prayers for others,
our prayers for others,
Pray daily, often, and Know the Joy of the Kingdom in your life and seek the Kingdom through the Guidance of the Holy Spirit.
To fully have the Holy Spirit in your heart,
"you must pray, and pray, and pray,..... everyday".
Pray for the Holy Spirit to Guide you and
in that Guidance you live to His Glory in His Will for your life.
Living in God's will for your life is
where we truly find the Kingdom.
To fully have the Holy Spirit in your heart,
"you must pray, and pray, and pray,..... everyday".
Pray for the Holy Spirit to Guide you and
in that Guidance you live to His Glory in His Will for your life.
Living in God's will for your life is
where we truly find the Kingdom.
Thanks Be to God.
© lonnie coggins
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REFERENCES:
*1 Galations 5:
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
*2 Matthw 6Do Not Worry
6:25-33pp -- Lk 12:22-31
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.*3 Joy
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Topics: Joy Bible Verses
Matthew 13:20 NIV
The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.Matthew 13:44 NIV
[The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl] "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.Matthew 28:8 NIV
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.Mark 4:16 NIV
Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.Luke 1:14 NIV
He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,Luke 1:44 NIV
As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.Luke 1:58 NIV
Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared herjoy.Luke 2:10 NIV
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.Luke 6:23 NIV
"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.Luke 8:13 NIV
Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.Luke 10:17 NIV
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."Luke 10:21 NIV
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.Luke 24:41 NIV
And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"Luke 24:52 NIV
Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.John 3:29 NIV
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.John 15:11 NIV
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.John 16:17 NIV
[The Disciples' Grief Will Turn to Joy] Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?"John 16:20 NIV
I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.John 16:21 NIV
A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.John 16:22 NIV
So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.John 16:24 NIV
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.John 17:13 NIV
"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
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Matthew 10:38 NIV
and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.Matthew 16:24 NIV
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.Mark 8:34 NIV
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come afterme, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.Luke 9:23 NIV
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up hiscross daily and follow me.Luke 14:27 NIV
And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
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Publication 0171
intro
HAPPINESS IS AN EARTHLY SITUATION that is here one moment and gone the next. But, Joy is a different story, it is a Gift of the Holy Spirit that we can depend on in Seeking the Kingdom. Click the link for more on Seeking the Kingdom. Please share the message on your Fb page as you like, and if you like, click the FB 'Follow' button to have notifications of these publications. For other messages like this, visit my FB page, or on FB visit-"A Daily Thought Group".
intro
HAPPINESS IS AN EARTHLY SITUATION that is here one moment and gone the next. But, Joy is a different story, it is a Gift of the Holy Spirit that we can depend on in Seeking the Kingdom. Click the link for more on Seeking the Kingdom. Please share the message on your Fb page as you like, and if you like, click the FB 'Follow' button to have notifications of these publications. For other messages like this, visit my FB page, or on FB visit-"A Daily Thought Group".
http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-pursuit-of-happiness.html
The young girl was also wrong about the source of that phrase; it was the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteIn Mt. 6:19-34 Jesus contrasts the way most pursue happiness (by seeking and working hard for the "finer" things of life, the best food, drink, and clothing) and the pursuit, the seeking, of his kingdom and righteousness.