e-mail 10/4/6

I wish there were some way that we could just open up people's heads and help them to see that life with Christ is the happiest way to live. There are 68 references for the word blessed in Scriptures. Matthew 5 contains what we call the Beatitudes. The word, blessed as used in the Beautitudes, is also translated "happy". Matthew 5-7 tell us how to live a blessed or happy life. Jesus sets forth the perfect standard of righteousness demanded by the law and demonstrates that all men are sinners and fall short of God's Divine standard and thereby cannot be saved by keeping the law. Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, not to destroy them. So, think for a few minutes, what does it take to make me really happy?

Will money, fame, a good job, a better job, kids, grandchildren, best church, receive awards or trophies and etc. make you happy? I am sure that you would say that some of these do but will they also keep you happy? The principles set forth in Matthew 5-7 are meant to teach us how to be truly happy. Everything else gives us only a temporary happiness.

Think of the person who wins the lottery. Instant money, then taxes take about 60%, then one thing or another eats away at it until many million dollar winners die broke and bankrupt (usually within 2-5 years)losing more than they had to begin with. TEMPORARY HAPPINESS.

HOW ABOUT A BETTER JOB? Hmmmm.... Usually this means more hours not getting to have time with family. Family may disintegrate. Yes, you can give them more things but what about more of you. Again, we have only TEMPORARY satisfaction.

My favorite is Grandchildren and our two certainly make us happy - at least part of the time. When they get sick, we are not happy. If they should talk back or sass us (southern term,) we would not be happy. If we spanked them, their parents might not be happy - family feud erupts in some cases. If they should get into things as a teenager that are not right, we certainly would not be happy, we would be heartbroken. Even our jewels in this lifetime can only give us temporary happiness.

The only way to true, lasting happiness is by knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and living according to the principles He set forth in the Scriptures.

I am afraid that many Christians get off course and say tings like "God would not want me to be unhappy in this or that situation so I am going to do what is best for me and get out. If it hurts my family, they will get over it. If it hurts my testimony, so what?" But there are consequences to this kind of thinking and behavior. One is that your testimony as a Christian will be gone. Another is that you have become an embarrassment to Christ. Another is that other people will suffer because of your consequences, and lastly, you have no guarantees that the new life you choose will make you happy.

Our testimony should be important to us. It should be guarded with every ounce of our being. I have often said that I would not buy a lottery ticket. It is gambling and I will not do it. (Neither will I buy raffle tickets even for a good cause because it is another form of gambling.) I am absolutely convinced that if I played the Lottery even one time, I would win and my testimony would be gone. People have said, "But you could give the money away to a good charity, give it to the church." But God does not need or want the Devil's money, so why would I do that? And with my testimony as a Christian gone, I would be useless to the kingdom of God. Where would be the happiness? I would be miserable.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13,"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.In verse 16, He says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify yor Father in Heaven."

Paul says in Galatians 5:22-25, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." These are blessings that will truly make us happy.When God's blessings come our way, we are given opportunities to....

Share God's love,
Peggy