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    adam7gur's Avatar
    adam7gur Posts: 372, Reputation: 38
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    #1

    Dec 9, 2008, 06:19 AM
    Do you think Jesus is happy with us?
    Do you think Jesus is happy with us?
    It's a simple question! IS HE HAPPY WITH US?
    And furthermore... are we happy with ourselves?
    N0help4u's Avatar
    N0help4u Posts: 19,823, Reputation: 2035
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    #2

    Dec 9, 2008, 06:30 AM

    Actually the Bible never says anything about being happy.
    It says have thanksgiving in all things and overcoming

    Life Bible Fellowship Church: Upland, California: Reflections Blog

    Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

    Colossians 3:15-17
    And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

    I can't remember the exact place but Paul talks about how he was in prison and all the trials he went through and he learned to rejoice in all things.

    Philippians 4:4-7 reads, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say,
    rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be
    anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
    thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,
    which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through
    Christ Jesus." Blessed be the reading of God's Word this morning.

    In AD 61 Paul, the author of this letter was sitting in a Roman prison where
    He was chained to a guard. He wound up in jail eventually because he refused
    To listen to the warnings of his church brother and sisters. He felt
    Compelled to go back to Jerusalem and preach the Word despite their warnings
    Of possible prison time. He went and preached in the Jewish Temple and some
    Jews from Asia Minor had started to hassle him. They accused him of speaking
    Against Jewish people and the law. He also got in trouble for bringing
    Greeks into the temple itself and making it unclean. There was a
    Disturbance, a small riot then the Roman commander came in and arrested
    Paul, putting him in prison.

    Yet, in spite of these difficulties, he writes tot eh church in Philippi. "I
    thank God that you're the type of people up there in Philippi who have been
    supporting me with prayers and finances. And I want to send a thank you note
    with Epaphroditus, thanking you for backing me. Thank you for your lives and
    for being a constant source of encouragement." And that's how he begins this
    Letter to the Philippians.

    So what is really happening here? What is the cause of such a positive
    Outlook and attitude? The key was that Paul was able to look far beyond the
    Immediate confining circumstances. Through the Spirit of God, he was able to
    Interpret beyond the immediate. He could see that because he was in prison
    He could see that many more things were happening. The Gospel was moving
    Forward. And he said, "Rejoice! I want you to rejoice. Good things are
    happening."

    I understand that many of us at times are weary, like Paul, and we get
    Lonely at times and we don't realize what's going on, that there are things
    That happen to us that we are confused about. And yet despite all of these
    Things - the shipwreck, the prison, the trumped up false charges, all these
    Things laid on Paul's back, he is able to say, "Listen, it's all right, it's
    okay. All is well."

    The source and secret to Paul's attitude comes in four ways. In chapter 1
    Paul says, "Jesus Christ is my life." In Chapter 2 Paul says, "Jesus Christ
    is my example." Chapter 3, he says, "Jesus Christ is my confidence." And in
    This chapter four, in his thank-you note he writes, "Jesus Christ is my
    strength."

    You see Jesus Christ was Paul's very life and he realizes that he's in
    Prison so that he can spread the message of Jesus Christ to Europe and many
    Who don't know the Way to Salvation. That's why he has the thrill of saying,
    "Rejoice in the Lord! Rejoice in the Lord, not in my strength or my positive
    attitude, not in my cleverness, but rejoice in Jesus Christ. Realize who He
    is! Realize who you are! Put the two together and you'll come out saying,
    "Well, praise the Lord! Rejoice!"

    You see joy in the Christian life is as vital as oxygen is to breathing. We
    need to be called again and again and again to it as believers. If you do
    not rejoice in Jesus Christ, I would dare to say you need to repent of a
    joyless life. Being genuinely happy because of who Jesus is in your life is
    a mark of a real Christian. This authentic joy is not slap-happy silliness,
    not warm-fuzzy feelings. This happiness and joy comes from understanding, as
    Paul did, that Jesus is what you truly live for the rest of your life.

    The attitude of being happy, because of Jesus, is what will produce that
    gentleness that Paul talks about in the next verse. If people cannot sense
    your gentleness and rejoicing in Jesus then you need to listen to this
    revealed secret:

    "As a third-century man was nearing death, he wrote these last words to a
    Friend: It's a bad world, and incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in
    The midst of it a quiet and peaceful people. They have found a joy which is
    A thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are
    Rejected and despised, unpopular and persecuted, but they don't care. They
    Are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are
    The Christians-and I am one of them."

    Rejoicing about Jesus - That is our first step to dealing with that one
    poison in our life. You and I know what it is. It is not an accidental
    poisoning that happens to us. It is a poison of choice. Kind of like
    nicotine. We know smoking is bad for us but some of us here have ignored the
    warning that is right on the cigarette package itself and went ahead and lit
    up.

    This poison has divided families. It's brought shame to the body of Christ
    and shame to our families. This poison puts us into predictable convulsions,
    doing things we know we shouldn't but do anyway. This poison steals joy from
    our lives, sucks happiness from our souls and cuts life short by causing
    heart failures, brain aneurysms and high blood pressure. The poison I am
    talking about is ANXIETY.

    A John Hopkins University doctor says, "We do not know why it is that
    Worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact." But I think
    I know. We are made in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for Faith and
    NOT fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.

    Now I am not saying that you should never worry but take this mental note
    down. Self-centered, unproductive worry without legitimate cares and
    concerns for the way Jesus wants us to follow is anxiety that is harmful.
    You see anxiety is faith in the negative, trusting in the unpleasant,
    assurance of disaster and belief in defeat.

    Paul tells us to be anxious for NOTHING! Did you hear that? He didn't say to
    be anxious for your children, to be anxious for your family, to be anxious
    for your future, to be anxious for your snow removal, to be anxious for your
    church construction. We are to be anxious for NOTHING! Because you see being
    anxious is the great poison of the mind that slowly kills your faith, slowly
    killing the real joy of life. We become unsure of life. We stop trusting
    people, we stop trusting God.

    So what are we to do? Do we continue to let worry and anxiety cast a big
    shadow over something so small? Paul gives us the answer. Pray. That's it,
    prayer. You see anxiety and prayer are the two greatest opposing forces in
    the Christian life. Like fire and water. Think of it. You talk to God less
    about things and you end up having more time to worry about them. You talk
    to God more about things and you have less time to worry. You see, God will
    help us when we are in trouble. When we worry we are on our own.

    And Lord help us when we're on our own. That's why we need to come to Him in
    prayer. Anxiety has no place in the Christian life because in everything
    there can be prayer. That is why Paul says to be anxious for NOTHING. If we
    are anxious for nothing, we will pray for EVERYTHING.

    But it is the kind of prayer that we need to refine. We need to tune-up our
    prayer life. Some people have turned their prayers into a ritual, without
    any meaning. Like the three-year old who was taught the Lord's Prayer over
    and over again and finally when her mother thought she had it down heard her
    pray at the end, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us some e-mail.
    Amen." Our prayers may lose meaning if we forget the meaning of the words.

    Some people might slingshot prayers to God. You know, a little request here,
    a little thanks there. Never giving long enough time for God to get their
    name, let alone their sentence of prayer. Or are you like the person who
    comes to Santa Claus, I mean God, when you need something? Do your prayers
    start like this, "Dear Lord I really need." "Dear Lord could You. " "Dear
    Lord please bless."?

    God made the heavens and the earth. He gave breath to babies and puts all
    things in perfect order in the physical universe. The sun is just the right
    distance from the earth. The earth rotates just fast enough to keep life
    going and slow enough to keep it from shooting into space. Our God already
    knows our needs better than we can tell Him. But what He really needs is our
    thankfulness. He needs our gratitude, our worship for the things that He has
    done for us. Like author John Macks puts it in his book, "Heaven Talks
    Back" - "You should pray everyday not in begging but in gratitude for all
    You have been given. I'm just like everybody else; I like a little
    Appreciation now and then. Nothing big, no plaques, just a nice, "Hey God,
    good job today."

    That is why Paul says in verse 6 that we pray with, 'thanksgiving.'
    Literally, this means that we tell God why He has made our hearts warm. I k
    Now some people who have some of the warmest hearts I have met. They have
    Endured more than most before they were seventeen years old. They would
    Never ask, but I will: Have you lost your family to civil war? Have you seen
    Childhood friends die horribly right next to you? Have you gone insane,
    Having no reason or mind? Have you been shipped to another country, forced
    To learn a new language - separated by thousands of miles from...

    Read more » Rejoice! - alt.christnet.bible | Google Groups


    Is Jesus happy with us?
    When we seek to please him he most likely is.
    NeedKarma's Avatar
    NeedKarma Posts: 10,635, Reputation: 1706
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    #3

    Dec 9, 2008, 06:38 AM
    I'm happy with me. :)
    De Maria's Avatar
    De Maria Posts: 1,359, Reputation: 52
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    #4

    Dec 9, 2008, 07:30 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by adam7gur View Post
    Do you think Jesus is happy with us?
    It's a simple question! IS HE HAPPY WITH US?
    You'd have to define "us".

    And furthermore... are we happy with ourselves?
    Yes. I am happy with myself. Of course, there's always room for improvement. But overall, I think I'm OK.

    Sincerely,

    De Maria
    revdrgade's Avatar
    revdrgade Posts: 162, Reputation: 37
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    #5

    Dec 9, 2008, 09:19 AM
    I can't speak for "us", but I know that I stand in God's "favor".

    The word used in both the NT and OT which is often translated "grace" is also translated in other places as "favor". The theologians often used definition of God's grace is the "favor dei" - the favor of God.

    It's a great study to look up all the places in the Bible where Khane(OT) and Charis(NT) are used. God speaks much about His favor for His children as individuals as well as to "us" as a group.
    arcura's Avatar
    arcura Posts: 3,773, Reputation: 191
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    #6

    Dec 10, 2008, 10:14 PM
    I think Jesus MAY have favor (pleased) for some of us who are saints in the sense that they are doing their best to be in His favor which covers a lot of things such as trying to live sinless lives, spreading the word, being good servants for God and his creation, praying, worshiping, being charitable in many ways, etc.
    Generally speaking I think the Jesus is very unhappy with we humans because of our many wars, murders, rapes, lie, frauds, corruption and the list goes on.
    Also only 2 billion of us are Christian. 4 billion are not,
    In successfully spearing the good news (Gospel) of Jesus we have a long way to go to have all the world properly hear and know of Him.
    Peace and kindness,
    Fred (arcura)
    classyT's Avatar
    classyT Posts: 1,562, Reputation: 214
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    #7

    Dec 11, 2008, 09:34 AM

    Are you talking about us as individuals or as the body of Christ. Because I don't think he is really pleased with the body of Christ right now. Just my opinion.
    arcura's Avatar
    arcura Posts: 3,773, Reputation: 191
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    #8

    Dec 11, 2008, 02:59 PM
    classyT,
    I think that the body of Christ is composed of those who do and follow as Jesus has asked.
    They are the ones who act in loving, kind, understanding faith.
    They are members of several denomination which have members who are not truly of the body of Christ.
    So I do believe that he is at least somewhat happy with the true body.
    Peace and kindness,
    Fred
    JoeCanada76's Avatar
    JoeCanada76 Posts: 6,669, Reputation: 1707
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    #9

    Dec 11, 2008, 03:02 PM

    What about God in this equation? If God was not happy with us would he send us Jesus to help lift all of us up and be a stepping stone to become closer to God?
    arcura's Avatar
    arcura Posts: 3,773, Reputation: 191
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    #10

    Dec 11, 2008, 03:13 PM
    Jesushelper76,
    I believe God sent Jesus to be our savior because he loves us NOT because he was happy with us.
    We see in the Old Testament that often times God was VERY unhappy with us.
    Peace and kindness,
    Fred
    JoeCanada76's Avatar
    JoeCanada76 Posts: 6,669, Reputation: 1707
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    #11

    Dec 11, 2008, 03:15 PM

    Good Point Arcura.
    Galveston1's Avatar
    Galveston1 Posts: 362, Reputation: 53
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    #12

    Dec 11, 2008, 05:03 PM

    As has been said, we must first define "us".

    This is pertinent to the question.

    John 15:14
    14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
    (KJV)

    Jesus links friendship with Him to obedience. If we are obedient, we are His friends and I have to believe that He is pleased with His friends.
    arcura's Avatar
    arcura Posts: 3,773, Reputation: 191
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    #13

    Dec 11, 2008, 07:11 PM
    Jesushelper76.
    Thanks,
    Fred
    TexasParent's Avatar
    TexasParent Posts: 378, Reputation: 73
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    #14

    Dec 12, 2008, 05:44 PM

    I think Jesus is happy with us as a human race. There has never been a time in human history when so many have lived in peace, there has never been a time where so many have lived with love for one another (Jesus's 2nd greatest commandment). There has never been a time where more people believed in God; and likely there has never been a time where more people has believed in Jesus.

    I find that the media, and Christian preachers like to focus on what is wrong with the world; or it latest behaviors, but I don't subscribe to the doom and gloom philosophy. I see the world as a place of love and kindness which we all extend towards others. Are there some people who are selfish, of course there always was and always will be. Are there those who's selfishness could be described as evil, absolutely.

    However, I think in the big picture there is more love and harmony amongst the worlds ordinary citizens than ever before. We are more global, more tolerant of others, kinder, less divisive, more knowledgeable about other country's and cultures and in the end we have a greater awareness of similarities and less awarenesses of our differences.

    I would think Jesus would be happy how we have progressed in our love towards each other.
    lighterrr's Avatar
    lighterrr Posts: 1,415, Reputation: 72
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    #15

    Dec 12, 2008, 05:50 PM

    Texas I applaud you for looking at the glass half full and trying to put a positive skin on this messed up world. But I don't think jeseus would be happy with us and the reason why is that JESUS CAME TO THIS WORLD TO UNIT JEWS AND GENTILES he came to show us how we should live and love and we have failed to embody his teachings and we are still failing today.
    De Maria's Avatar
    De Maria Posts: 1,359, Reputation: 52
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    #16

    Dec 12, 2008, 05:56 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by arcura View Post
    Jesushelper76,
    I believe God sent Jesus to be our savior because he loves us NOT because he was happy with us.
    We see in the Old Testament that often times God was VERY unhappy with us.
    Peace and kindness,
    Fred
    THAT is very profound. Great answer!
    TexasParent's Avatar
    TexasParent Posts: 378, Reputation: 73
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    #17

    Dec 12, 2008, 06:50 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by lighterrr View Post
    texas i applaud you for looking at the glass half full and trying to put a positive skin on this messed up world. But i dont think jeseus would be happy with us and the reason why is that JESUS CAME TO THIS WORLD TO UNIT JEWS AND GENTILES he came to show us how we should live and love and we have failed to embody his teachings and we are still failing today.
    You know, even Jesus said something like "if you only had faith like these little children". I am not a book learner, and while I read just fine and have a decent education the bible is of little use to me as a tool for learning.

    My point is this, Jesus's message was simple; it need not be complicated by theology or a deeper understanding of the bible. Again Jesus said something to the effectthat "the new covenent will be written into the hearts of men".

    I know nothing of uniting jews and gentiles, but I do know that all of my Godly experiences have had one common thread, and that is love towards a God of my understanding and love towards others; and if I'm not mistaken they are Jesus's greatest commandments. So call me a child, I don't know the in's and out, or the lawyeristic notion of the bible so that I can prove this or that. I just know that Jesus was right when it matches my Godly experiences; as for the rest of bible, why do I need to understand anything else?

    As for failing to embody his teachings, it is impossible to embody them. Have you seen how selfish children are in the natural; before they are taught to share, be kind to others, etc. This is God given for survival; and once sure that their basic needs are attended to we teach them to express the love within without fear of not having, etc. He also gave us our unbridaled sexuality which with people marrying later and later; when they used to marry at 13 through 15. Is it no wonder that it's more difficult to keep the Genie in the Bottle?

    All of these attributes are gifts from God to be managed and used in moderation and in ways that honor God by ultimately doing what is best for ourselves in the long run as he wants us to reach our potential. In other words, love ourselves; don't do emotionally, physically or spiritually harmful things to ourselves.

    I guess that is why Jesus died for our sins, because we can never be like him, but I am sure he would be happy that more of us than ever before are living in goodness towards others and ourselves.
    arcura's Avatar
    arcura Posts: 3,773, Reputation: 191
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    #18

    Dec 12, 2008, 10:06 PM
    TexasParent,
    I like your positive attitude.
    But when I look at the world and what is going on now with a world wide terrorist war against innocent people as well as wars of genocide I find it hard to be as positive as you are.
    Peace and kindness,
    Fred
    TexasParent's Avatar
    TexasParent Posts: 378, Reputation: 73
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    #19

    Dec 12, 2008, 11:16 PM

    Terrorism kills less people than car accidents or any number of illness's, it's the least of my worries. Mankind has made progress on all the 'worry fronts'. Cars and roads are safer, illness's are being battled, and terrorism and wars today are surgical in nature not the bloodbaths of WWI and WWII.

    Coming into this thread again to answer your post it occurred to me why would Jesus be unhappy? Wouldn't he celebrate the fact that there are likely 1 billion or more Christian's in the world, when he left there were but thousands. Society, western society has been largely built on his values and those values helped make us prosperous enough to help others and raise the standard of living so that people don't have to be in a selfish desire to simply survive in competition with others at the expense of others; we have enough that we can practice helping others all over the world. Were these notions true of his time? I haven't heard of them.

    Nevertheless, Arcura if you are really objective you will find the blessings far outweight the challenges for any time in human history.

    Could we screw it up, sure. Are there selfish evil forces, there always have been; but I've I am confident that we will succeed through our love for our fellow man. At the very least, Jesus's 2nd greatest commandment is a value that is woven into the fabric of western culture like no other. While I'm sure that you and Jesus would be disappointed that the first commandment "Love thy God" isn't woven as tightly as the second. However, there have been key people in history who have and helped shape our societies to where they stand now; free and with compassion.
    arcura's Avatar
    arcura Posts: 3,773, Reputation: 191
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    #20

    Dec 12, 2008, 11:56 PM
    TexasParent,
    Again I like your attitude.
    I do agree that in general the world IS a better place than it was years ago.
    I do think that Jesus would be happy about that.
    BUT there are so many different bad things going that I think he would be unhappy about.
    Yes there is a lot of good in this world, but that does not hide the bad.
    Peace and kindness,
    Fred

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