“In a recent global survey of people’s greatest wants, happiness was number one, ahead of love and health, with money coming fourth – …..” (ALIVE magazine , Issue 8-2011, page 57, The article is called APPRECIATE THE MOMENT by Lindsey Dawson)
1. Happiness
When I am thinking about happiness, THE BEATITUDES are coming to my mind. The eight Beatitudes are starting with “‘God blesses…..'” in most translations of the Bible. (NLT and NIV)
But read THE BEATITUDES in THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE and you will find that it says in Matthew 5:3
“Blessed –
happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous
[that is, with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favour and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions] –
“Jesus kommt es nicht auf die Quantitaet, sondern auf die Qualitaet des Betens an. Gott misst meine Froemmigkeit nicht in Minuten, sonderm an meiner inneren Haltung.” – Karl Albietz
The “Feel Good magazine from your local Amcal, Unichem, Radius & Life Pharmacy” (2011/12 Summer issue), tells me about many guides. I am amazed. There are at least six, or even more. Let me just mention a few of them. There is “a quick guide to get beach ready”, “a quick guide to women’s health” and “the Blokes’ Guide to good health.” There is “a step-by step guide to your best ever tan.”
Can I tell you please about the guide book to everlasting life?
Why do I want to do that?
Because man consists of body, soul and spirit. The body is the physical part of man. Our spirit has the ability to communicate with God. And the Lord Jesus died on the cross to redeem our souls.
Uncle Ernie was my teacher at the Bible Institute I attended in Germany long ago. In his book YOU NEVER MEET ANYONE BY CHANCE he writes, “I entered a drugstore and stood looking at all the merchandise on the shelves. When I had the attention of the salesperson, I asked him, ‘You have medication for the body, the back, the feet, the eyes, the stomach, etc. Do you have anything for the soul?’ Surprised by my question he answered, ‘No, we have nothing for the soul.’
‘Well,’ I said, ‘You are fortunate. I have something for the soul and I would like to give it to you.’ He accepted the tract I handed him.”
“I picked up 2 boys going fishing and said, ‘I’m a fisherman, too, but actually I’m looking for bigger fish than you.’
The boys, who were fishing for trout, asked, ‘Are you after Salmon or pike?’
‘No,’ I said, ‘Still bigger.’ Of course they had no idea that I was trying to catch fish as big as they were. I told them that in the Bible Jesus had called Peter to follow him and become a fisher of men. I, too, am a fisher of men. Then I explained what it meant to follow Jesus and how to become a Christian. One of the boys prayed with me and committed his life to Jesus.”
“Experience FREEDOM today. Talk to us about a Freedom Transaction Account.”
A National Bank ad says that.
Not long ago I read a quote by Peyton C. March. In the quote he says that FREEDOM is one of the things we crave most in life. The other two things are happiness and peace of mind.
The Bible says that the truth will set us FREE and that the Lord Jesus Christ will set us FREE! (John 8:32 and John 8:36)
