11/17/08

Oh, No!

This is going to hurt! Could this accident waiting to happen have been avoided? Possibly, but its more likely he (or she) just took too many chances, didn't pay attention to their own safety or maybe just didn't care. There are a lot of things in life that are dangerous, but knowing how to handle yourself in a spiritually dangerous situation is essential. Look at the example of Jesus!

Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry.
Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou art the son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6 And saith to him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall uphold thee, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Mat 4:7 Jesus said to him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up upon an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,
Mat 4:9 And saith to him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus to him, Be gone, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
The Webster Bible
Notice that in each instance of temptation Jesus answers with Scripture. Pretty good example to follow isn't it? If we all did, I think there would be a lot less spiritual "Oh, No's" in this world. Perhaps even a few less accidents too.

Happiness is...

Imagine that you are so happy that you could "leap" for joy like this dolphin. Is happiness just a state of excitation or it is something more? Could you be happy in an unpleasant situation? I like the way Young's Literal translation translates "The beautitudes". Jesus says:

Mat 5:3 `Happy the poor in spirit--because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
Mat 5:4 `Happy the mourning--because they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 `Happy the meek--because they shall inherit the land.
Mat 5:6 `Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness--because they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7 `Happy the kind--because they shall find kindness.
Mat 5:8 `Happy the clean in heart--because they shall see God.
Mat 5:9 `Happy the peacemakers--because they shall be called Sons of God.
Mat 5:10 `Happy those persecuted for righteousness' sake--because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
Mat 5:11 `Happy are ye whenever they may reproach you, and may persecute, and may say any evil thing against you falsely for my sake--
Mat 5:12 rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward is great in the heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.
Happiness is living a life that Jesus describes; one that is not without difficulties, but rather one that is lived through them with the help of the God of the heavens. You may or may not leap for joy, but you WILL BE HAPPY, because God will show you how to live.