Today’s Devotional – August 3rd (Happy, Happy, Happy!)
By admin On July 24th, 2014.
.
Today’s Devotional – August 3rd
.
.
.
.
“Happy, Happy, Happy!”
.
.
.
.
A certain man was explaining to his neighbor, who was from the Far East, the ways in which he could find more happiness and fulfillment in life. And afterward, the neighbor retorted… “Happy, Happy, Happy! You Americans are always about, ‘Happy, Happy, Happy!'” Of course this reaction brought the whole conversation to a swift end, no doubt!
.
.
.
.
A very popular preacher has a You-Tube video sermon on the subject of “Christian joy”. And he made a very compelling plea to his audience, that they should be, “rejoicing in the Lord always”!
.
Of course he never once mentioned what Peter says, “…you…Who are kept by the power of God…Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:” 1st Peter 1:4-6
.
No, this You-Tube video never mentioned this above verse, nor the many other similar passages in the Bible, which speak of sadness and sorrow.
.
Audience hands – cropped & altered – Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
“Though ye be in heaviness…”
.
What this preacher did not realize is, that more than at any time in history, God is now sending His people through manifold trials and temptations!
.
God is preparing His people to stand in a day when the world will be falling! And as Peter puts it, “Though ye be in heaviness, through manifold temptations.”
.
Girl Praying – Wikimedia – Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
TODAY’S HEDONISTIC SOCIETY!
.
We live in a very opulent, decadent, hedonistic, lots-of-laughs, lots-of excitement culture!
.
And we Christians get bombarded 24/7/365, with the world’s version of what happiness is supposed to be all about! And it rubs off on us, doesn’t it?
.
We look at the TV, and it’s so often about, “Happy, Happy, Happy”, for the most part, isn’t it?
.
And those in the Church, who are “at ease in Zion”, laugh and joke along with the world! They are not at all “grieved for the affliction of Joseph!” Amos 6:6 (Joseph here being a figure of our suffering Lord, and His afflicted people)
.
Hands Toasting Drinks – Cheers! – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
.
.
.
.
.
Â
WE MUST WALK, EVEN AS JESUS WALKED!
.
What this You-Tuber does not consider is what John says… “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1st John 2:6. Â
.
I cannot claim to have an abiding walk with Jesus, and then walk as the world walks! No, but I must walk as Jesus walked! And that includes my Christ-like conduct in all my thoughts, words, and deeds!
.
And let’s face it! Christ was called…Â “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5.
.
Carrying the Cross on our behalf was not always “happy, happy, happy!” No, Christ shed many tears on our behalf. Oh yes, He had an inner peace and joy and hope: and they shone out from Him, like beams of light through a veil of tears!
.
.
.
.
.
.
A TIME TO MOURN, AND A TIME TO DANCE!
.
Was Jeremiah’s message a happy message? Well just read Jeremiah, and put the word, “churches” in place of the word “Jerusalem”, or “Judah”, etc., and see what Jeremiah’s message would sound like today! And there were false teachers back in Jeremiah’s day, who were preaching this same, “Happy, Happy, Happy” message, as many preach today!
.
They just didn’t understand this verse…Â “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3-8.
.
As this reveals, Christianity is not always a place of happiness and celebration! There are times when God’s people must go through heavy trials, and possibly even be cast down for a time, from the Lord, because of our sins and world-loving ways!
.
Cry of prophet Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem – Wikiart – US Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
“…But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”
Ecclesiastes 7:4Â
.
And we must remember that “the god of this world”, Lucifer, now called Satan, is also “that spirit which now works in the children of disobedience” (2nd Corinthians 4:4 & Ephesians 2:2).
.
And so we should not be surprised that his Antichrist spirit is now working in the lives of unbelievers (and “make-believers”), to give a little polish and shine to this rebellious world.
.
And thus filled with the spirit of the world, unbelievers are often seen laughing and joking and partying, and back-slapping, and seemingly having a really good time!
.
Little do they know that their laughter and gaiety is, as the Wise Man put it, “as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity (worthless).” Ecclesiastes 7:6Â
.
Yes, God, through Solomon, is trying to make us realize that this world is laughing as they go on their way, only to one day soon, wake up before the judgment throne of God! Â
.
Hands Toasting Drinks – Cheers! – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
.
.
.
.
.
NOT AN EARTHLY JOY
.
Yes, O trembling child of God! We can have joy, even amidst those heavy trials we are presently going through.
.
But as Paul puts it… “…as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing;” 2nd Corinthians 6:9, 10.Â
.
Here Paul is explaining the great paradox of the Christian life:Â “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing!”
.
Munch – Det Syke Barn – 1896 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
DYING TO SELF
.
And so, this You-Tuber is seeing one part of Scripture, but he is not properly balancing all that the Bible has to say on the subject (perhaps he balances these things properly in other of his videos).
.
His appeal to his mostly You-Tube audience is actually an appeal to the carnal heart! Because, the carnal heart seeks worldly happiness, prosperity, health, and political peace and security!
.
But the carnal heart doesn’t understand that Christ wants us to put the Old Man (our carnal nature) to a complete and utter death, so that the New Man, Christ, can live out His life through us!
.
Braet von Ãœberfeldt – Woman with Bible – 1866 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
SHALL DOUBTLESS COME AGAIN REJOICING!
.
But, in all this negativity, there is a hopeful message in which to rejoice!
.
The Lord is still calling us to, “Go and sell that ye have, and give to the poor, and ye shall have treasure in Heaven, and Come, follow Me!” Luke 18:22.
.
And though the upward pathway to Heaven is often a “trail of tears”, yet we have this promise… “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5, 6
.
.
.
.
.
.
TO READ PART 2, GO HERE…
August 4th (Happy, Happy, Happy! Part 2)
Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
.
.
.
.
.
TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to become Christ-like in every way. Keep me from mingling the sacred with the common. Let all the world see the fullness of Christ within me…Â
.
.
.
.
READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Ark of the Covenant Constellation, Pt. 2: How To Enter The Most Holy Place” or you can also read… “March 1st (A Designer Jesus!)“
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
.
.
.
.
THE END
Â
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
.
.
.
.
ORION, THE GOOD SHEPHERD
.
.
This star-chart from Wikipedia, has Orion sketched in by the editor of this website. With the addition of a single star, Theta Geminorum (the left hand of the Castor twin of Gemini), the sickle in Orion, the Reaper’s hand (sketch to left), now extends the blade, thus transforming that sickle into the hook of a shepherd’s rod and staff. And so now this little Gemini star becomes the tip of Orion’s Shepherd’s rod & staff. Thus with this additional star, Orion the Reaper Constellation now becomes the 5th personality of Orion: The Good Shepherd (sketch below right). Theta Geminorum is a class A3, 4th magnitude star, which means it is much fainter than either of the stars, Castor or Pollux. But faint as This little star may be, it nevertheless presents a giant concept, turning Orion’s sickle into a shepherd’s rod. And this is a very wonderful and beautiful Bible truth: namely, that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, as is written…
.
.
“As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” Ezekiel 34:12Â
.
And so God has placed this Starry Shepherd in the winter-night heavens to remind us of His great love for a planet which has wandered away: just like sheep that wandered to where the grass looked greener.
.
Orion the reaper – Wikipedia star-chart (with the Reaper drawn over by this website)
.
.
.
.
READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Orion, The Good Shepherd”Â
.
.
.
.
.
TOMORROW:
“August 4th (Happy, Happy, Happy! Part 2)”
Laughing – (cropped and color added) – Fotothek df roe neg – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
.
.
.
.
.
20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY
.
ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.Â
.
THIS IS STUDY #213 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
.
.
Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo. Most tall, narrow photos have been cropped or reduced by this website to make them a better fit on phone screens.
Leave a Reply