P. Good morning Lord...

..All that you do and really long to do in local churches, please go ahead without permission and do all those things in the churches around here.. yes, not even waiting for the go-ahead-nod-of-approval from those inside. So wanna see all the people and the leadership rad-surprised at how blessed they are, so they will fall head over heels in love with You. Please address, soften and change hearts so that people can grow in Your Word, so that Your Word would be honored and magnified. I praise You for what You already are doing and are going to do. Thanks for loving us - Your Church and thanks that we can still gather in Your Name.. to full-on worship You. I pray that many irreligious people would turn, trust and be born again in Christ today. In Jesus' mighty Name. Amen. 

"God, hear my voice when I pray." ~ Psalm 64:1

People don't witness because people don't care, and they don't care because they don't pray earnestly for God's kind of Love for sinners as they should.

After resting his head down upon his pillow at night and before young missionary, Brainerd, would fall asleep, he would be thinking of lost souls and dreaming dreams of souls - about how he could talk and reach them. 

And then as he woke up in the morning, guess what... he was still thinking about them, so he would earnestly pray for them. 

And then what happened? Well, God gave him a harvest of souls. Sure, cuz he cared about people. Many today do not. Do you care?

Jesus cared about everyone He met and about those they would meet. He was accurately portrayed as a man's man that was, "moved with compassion."

Read about others like that...

"Give me Scotland, or I die!" ~ John Knox

"Tell me, the depth of a Christian man's compassion, and I will tell you the measure of his usefulness. The wealth of Egypt's harvest is proportioned to the depth of the Nile's overflow" ~ Maclaren

Care. Simple huh. Care enough to take action. 

Start caring today, preach Christ and His cross. He cared from up there on it and prayed for his enemies. Christ was a good witness for His Father as He was being murdered ..as an innocent Man. 

Do this work with joy in the Spirit and have confidence in the power of.. and directly in.. the Word of God. The Word is alive. He still primarily reaches people through people. Yes, He uses loving people with gracious deeds of compassion and true verbal communication of His Gospel. On the horizontal level, is there a better work than that of soul-winning? No. Who in the New Testament came to saving faith without God using a caring human agent? No one. Can God save people without using a believer? Yes, but He has commanded us to love our neighbor and go tell. 

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Lk. 19:10).

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Tim. 1:15).

Call out to God to know His Son intimately. Call out to Him for your friends and loved ones. Call out for more grace and keen insight. He that wins souls is wise. Have tact and agape love inside. Don't argue or strive in the flesh, but let's start while it's still called today. facebook.com/shareJesus

Who doesn't love hearin' some skilled Christian bands..

..but doesn't it kinda seem like many cool music groups and drama efforts, et cetera, et cetera.. are tryin' so very hard to successfully cross over into present day culture to be a success, and yet are failing by forgetting to bring the cross over? Makes me think about my own motives and priorities.. and how I am doing. No time for a hard heart, a miss-focus, a wrong spirit, or selfish ambition. Fortunately, there are still some doing a great job minus the mixed motives, who are unashamed in telling people about Jesus, His bloodshed on the wood, yeah.. what He has and can do for people.. about sin, hell and future judgement. It's good for us who bear His Name to stop and examine ourselves from time to time. Who really wants to see their works for Christ done on earth ..burn up into a lame ash-heap when this really doesn have to happen? How cross-eyed are you and how unashamed are you of that Message you export? Having been raised in a traditional church, I thought I was already a Chrsitian by default and for years never heard the Gospel straight or got an opportunity to repent until age 18 in a small home Bible study. That's too many years for youth of today - don't want em waiting that long.  

 

There are still so many "prosperity preachers" around (even though many have tried to tweak their money-grubbing ploy). There're also many "feel-good-preachers" today ..who desire to become more popular to the point of making a better living instead of becoming a so called Jesus Freak..... so they refuse to ever share about sin, the cross, the blood of Jesus, His coming day of accountability, that real place called hell, and the Great White throne Judgement. 

They don't want to provide any sort of altar call (I mean straightforward opportunity for peeps to turn and trust Christ. I don't mean it has to happen so traditional putting God in a box.. ie, come up front to shake the preacher's hand and then fill out a card. Could happen in the Foyer or in a tent outside perhaps. But everyone who Christ called, He called openly and publicly). They'd rather be more acceptable to to the world and only share some true or nice sounding quotes that make people feel better.. "nice sayings" that perhaps help people get through their day better or just feeling better.. though totally lost. 

Nothing at all wrong with cultivating a good attitude, but a witness or an evangelist type is called to witness clearly and to evangelize. We hear the irreligious talk of their disdain for so called "Hell-fire and brimstone preachers" but many have never heard one. When was the last time that you have heard one? I sure haven't lately. Perhaps there have been a few in the past who did that kinda thing with a wrong spirit inside. Dunno, but I do think the pendulum has swung far in the opposite direction. Personally I want to hear more biblical teaching on hell and heaven. Don't you?      

You know how Jesus spoke more about hell than any of the other preachers or prophets in the Bible. He gave individuals a chance to change, repent and believe. He is our Savior and ultimate Example. And His warning to people was always given in love, not to condemn people. He never rejoiced that so many were headed in the wrong direction. He dealt with the most serious problem they had ..of sin. Sure if you or I were to see a house literally on fire on our block, with kids playing inside not knowing what was happening.. wouldn't it be most loving to go and immediately tell them and help each one of them get out of the danger zone inside?   

"We must throw off the clever strategies of modern evangelism, and face the world with open Bibles and the Gospel of Christ crucified and raised." ~ Paul Washer

Paul said.. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 2/2onecor. facebook.com/shareJesus

Urgency, holy zeal with a good type of fear of God, proper passion with a laser focus on Christ. So SO needed. So little time, so few laborers, so many in the harvest fields and the valley of decision. What will you do?

Do you like to ask the Lord of all the Universe what your part is in helping to bring closure on the Great Commission? Are you strong spiritually and close to the Lord, so His heart-beat and passion are rubbing off on you.. to the point where His love is constraining you? It's time to be controlled by the Holy Spirit every moment. 

I want to implore and encourage you to keep hittin' it to your knees until you hear from God.. 'til you break through and see God move.. 'til you just wanna get up and go out as a new man or a new woman with fire burning down deep on the inside.. and spread that fire if you will. 

You know how too many in our day serve the Lord with such a mediocre, passe, goin'-through-the-motions, been-there-done-that-kinda-attitude. And yes you indeed know that such a ho-hum sort of mentality and way ain't going to cut it.. according to what we've been called to do. Let's be done with that, and intentionally re-fall-in-love with our First Love who really cares about the lost ..across the sea and across your street. This is the time to become red-hot on fire for Christ.  This is the time to hang out with and help those who are red-hot and balanced in Jesus.    

That type of "pull out all the stops seeking of Jesus" in worship etc... is indeed a good thing for our day at this stage of the game so to speak. It's later than it's ever been before. 

You know what I mean. It's really no game. Some say, "Kurt, Jesus Freaks have been talkin' about this 'catching away' of the saints to heaven since the early 70s, but where in the world is He? We're still waiting" But I say check out the signs and super-signs in light of the Scriptures. Israel is and has been a nation again when that looked like it would never happen. Check out the other fulfilled prophecies. I say Look around you, it's by far a new and different day with greater needs globally, with people getting more desperate in a volatile economy. Look at Greece. That's where we could soon be. Look at how all types of fornication and perversion have become the media-defended norm, look at how open sin as a lifestyle is obviously more rampant than ever before. We are all the closer to that time of being raptured out of here, but that doesn't mean set a date or do nothing. Hey, what we do or have been planning to do in the Spirit for Christ, we must do it now. 

Last days urgency follows upon the heals of last days fervency in seeking the heart and mind of the One who sends people to reap.. I mean seekin' Christ like ur life and the life of others depends upon it. It does. Yes, do gain urgency in wisely declaring the Gospel, in passionately explaining It with patience, in clearly persuading people ..for decisions. We are not here to be marked by that lukewarm or worldly maintaining of the status quo in the name of Christianity. Let repentance begin with us, and then let's get on with it.  

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." 5/16jam. nkjv 

We see.. a unique occasion to reemphasize the urgency of taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This year can serve as a milestone to mark the advance of the Gospel as a focal point for intensified evangelistic work ..a transition to a new century of missionary outreach. ~ GCOWE Declaration

"I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house." 42/6,7isa. 

Surely you can see how we are living during a time of unprecedented opportunities (not to mention technologically with tools that can help get our Message out farther and farther..). Yes along with larger numbers of desperate people waiting for the Church to actually be the Church, we are in our last days. There are a lot of great avenues where you can serve (choose to be active in finding out what God is doing here on this sin-cursed planet and then get involved with those who are already involved and being used of God to spread the Gospel), but if you still can't find out what exactly to do practically, then we can help you. Just join me and our my wonderful evangelistic friends, people of harvest if you will, who know and are perfecting what they are already doing for Christ in reaping (HarvestAmerica.com). Pray for and talk to your pastor.. and perhaps show him the H.A. promo video. Here's some more info for him if he would like to sign up. I really can't think of a better investment of your time, your talent, and your treasure if you choose to help us with this Nationwide One Day, One Church, One Message event. 

Let's pray together like we mean it, because hey.. we do mean it! We love our friends and loved ones too much to allow them to go to hell without a chance to turn as we have. They at H.A. have a great 20 plus year track record if you wanna check it out, and together we are expecting God to work. We are expecting that more will turn to Christ ..on August 26th, '12.. than have turned and been born again in any U.S. one time event before. It's exciting and I certainly feel excited about it - about Jesus. 

Me thinks.. there's not really a reason to turn up the volume relationally.. unless you're singin' praises to the Lord together. The servant of the Lord ain't into falsehood, striving or arguing. "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser." ~ Socrates

"The history of missions is the history of answered prayer." ~ Samuel Zwemer

Why win zero souls for the Lord and His Kingdom just because you forget to ask for souls? TooEarlyToQuit. "Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is His Name; call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." 33/2-3jer.

"And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them.." (45/5jer). But for Another? Sure.

Do ya need a position or title to start? Nawww.

"It is possible for the most obscure person in a church, with a heart right toward God, to exercise as much power for the evangelization of the world, as it is for those who stand in the most prominent positions." ~ John R. Mott

Do you need to be deputized by the president or a bishop? No. Do you need to be employed in the ministry first to start serving and witnessing of your faith in Jesus? No. Do you need a shinny name badge saying something like "Elder So-n-So" (every see that are your front door with a false gospel)? No way - you don't need any badge saying you are legitimate like some fools wear! Do you need a corner office up high, with a big window overlooking downtown, or some important sounding title just to minister in Jesus' Name? Do you really need a position to start or finish right? Naww. 

Do ya feel or see yourself as unnecessary in God's Kingdom? I wanna say it a million times.. Our extraordinary God daily delights to use ordinary, down-to-earth, common believers in one-on-one and one-on-more-than-one tactful witnessing with His Word. Yup, as an outgrowth of their earnest seeking and tight relationship with Him. That's how He accomplishes His work in this world.

This should be an extraordinary uber-amazing encouragement to you this morning. Why? Well think about it a minute. How many have been born into fame, or into royalty or with a silver spoon in their mouths? Not many. Yeah, let's face it square on. Most of us are ordinary folk. And if God only called or used extra-ordinary people for his eternal Kingdom, then we would be excluded out in the cold. We would be left out of the exciting action that the Holy Spirit has in mind.

I praise the Lord that He saves, equips, empowers, gifts, leads, feeds and uses ordinary people to exalt Jesus Christ to the ends of this world, to do His evangelistic and discipleship kinda work. How wonderful, how marvelous, how excellent is He! In fact, that's one of the things I love about Him the most.. that's one reason He is so extraordinary.. He joys in using ordinary people—saved sinners just like you and me to win other sinners to righteousness in His Son, Jesus Christ.

"..they asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' And he answered, 'No.' Then they said to him, 'Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?' He said: 'I am The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord.'" 1/21-23jn.

Was John the baptizer an up-and-outer important community leader with a position before God used Him? No. Did he call himself "an apostle," or "anointed" or "a pope" or "priest" or "rabbi" or "pastor"? No. Did he move to the big city to market and get a start in ministry? No, but the Spirit used his message to move those in the city out to where he was to hear more about Jesus.

And there are so many believers in the Bible that were so ordinary, but then were used of God to do great things. Go look again in the four Gospel accounts at how each of Christ's disciples got their start in soul-winning. This should build you up and encourage you in such a wonderful way. It does me, cuz I know that I'm another ordinary Joe in this world. What an exciting, fulfilling life the disciples had...with some suffering.. with some persecution and mocking.. with a harvest too. You can have such an exciting adventure in Christ too. You can do this kinda righteous stuff in the Lord. I say Go for Him...go for it in faith! So many in this world are still waiting for the Message of Jesus that you've been entrusted with.


Jesus took time for the so called ordinary people of this world - I mean everyday folk. He touched the untouchables, healed them on every level, and then rightly used em for God's glory. Why? It was because He truly cared for people. Will you do the same? In reality you and I meet no ordinary individuals. We are each and everyone of us fearfully and wonderfully made with apex-value to God, but at the same time why view yourself as "better than ordinary folk" (as some believers and ministers unfortunately do) or view yourself needing to first become uber-extraordinary in order to be used by God in fishing for people? 


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Kinda meditatin’ so to speak, not on nothingness like that would somehow help, but rather on this verse I like, that can indeed help anyone when applied

The Bible challenges believers to... "Always be prepared" (with gentleness, respect and faith..in the Lord's readiness if you will..even if you feel zero respect for the person's base lifestyle that you are humbly communicating with, yes, havin' already done your homework in the Word and in genuine Spirit-led prayer..because it's too easy for any of us believers with a fleshly nature inside to be ill-prepared) "to make a defense" (without acting all military-like-defensive in some snooty sorta way.. that easily repels) "to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (cuz any sincere, repentant person with real questions and an inquiring mind will be lovingly welcomed with open arms). 3/15onepeter, emph. mine

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." ~ Chesterton

"It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to." ~ C. S. Lewis

"If there were no God, there would be no atheists." ~ Chesterton

Do you like to pour over, pray over, and meditate upon God's Word as you think about people around you that don't yet know Jesus Christ? I whole-heartedly encourage this. Of course some unbelievers we come across feel that they have all the answers already and aren't asking any, some have honest questions and really want to find the truth in a response from you, and others merely have some dishonest questions and perhaps just want to have some fun at your expense to make themselves look better. God can give us love for all of them, for He is used to putting up with all types of folk.

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Do your best to be clear...

..and to help unbelievers understand the truth about salvation. Too many of us are unclear and don't know it. I've been there before. And too many don't ever prepare to be clear, but speaking the truth in their language and being understood is very important ...especially when witnessing for Christ. Hey that's a given, but lot's of people that we Christians witness to will put up a roadblock to the Gospel sayin' they must put off making a decision now, because there are things in the Bible that their minds struggle with and don't understand.. knowing that's not the real reason and that they are not ready yet. 


Of course Christians must be very careful to discern who really does want to overcome objections in their own mind and who simply wants to "put it all off" for another day (as the enemy would love to see happen - God says now, today is the day of salvation, but Mr Lu-Cifer likes to encourage the sinner to put it off until "tomorrow"). Yeah, we want to presure no person to make this most important decision if they don't want to, and as I've already mentioned, for many this type of excuse is merely their smoke-screen fro the purpose of buying time for more sinful pleasure and to throw God's witness off. But in reality ..and contrary to what they've said, it's often the things they do understand in the Bible.. yes, understand all too well. Perhaps they don't feel like giving up their selfish ways at that time, or feel like telling you outright that they love pleasure more than allowing Christ to be Lord of their life. What person really feels like dying to their own way.. at anytime? My flesh doesn't, but I am always glad when I obey the Lord anyways. You know how people in the world tend to love darkness rather than light in the Lord. It would appear that the majority of men aren't willing to come to the light to have their deeds exposed for what they really are. But what does the Bible say about it? It says, “But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (Jam. 1:22, nasb). And “Jesus replied, ‘But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice’" (Lk. 11:28, nlt).

“It will greatly help you to understand Scripture if you note – no only what is spoken and written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows.” ~ Miles Coverdale 

“We approach Scripture with minds already formed by the mass of accepted opinions and viewpoints with which we have come into contact, in both the Church and the world.. it is easy to be unaware that it has happened; it is hard even to begin to realize how profoundly tradition in this sense has molded us.” ~ J.I. Packer 

“When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, ‘It is talking to me, and about me.'" ~ Soren Kierkegaard

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God wants us connected for the growth of His Kingdom's sake."From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." Eph. 4:16nkjv

It's fellowship with the Lord and with red-hot believers that causes me to strongly desire prayer, study, growth, and fishin' for souls time.

Happy Easter to ya .. or as I like to call it ..Resurrection Day

Just exited a sound church (..so glad there are some out there) that'll see 25,000 to 28,000 peeps this weekend. And they are in it for Christ and not for anything else. I ♥ the clear Message - several responded. Do you have a healthy home church to go to, where the leaders love the Lord more than anything else?

Nothing better to be around. Love to see babies being born into the Kingdom of God (see John 3).

Believer, I encourage you to 1.) Pray for your family members.. for your lost friends.. for your pastor, and 2.) Go get some or one unbelieving friend(s) to bring em to Jesus ..or to a soul-winning church. 

If you are a pastor.. with all due respect, I encourage you to preach the Word of God with confidence.. and then give the people an opportunity to repent and come to Christ by faith. Everyone who Jesus called He called openly and publicly.    

There is such a thing as sin's curse, but there's also a Solution - Christ cuz of His cross and empty tomb.

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain." ~ Bennard

I'm currently readin' the Gospel in a nutshell that Paul faithfully presented, "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once.." (1 Cor. 15:3-6). www.knowGod.org

If ya feel like...

..or think that there is no one out there who gives a flip enough to be praying for you during this time of your life..or enough to just cheer you on in righteous living, then please think again. There is Jesus Christ. 

He is so there for you. He is always there to listen, to understand, to comfort, to encourage, and to pray for you. We believe that so we all just need to act like that huh. Are you taking time away from it all for the Word of God? Are you still seeking and pleading before Him in Jesus Name?

This is no time for any idols of any kind to steal your heart and affections away from the Lord. "Jealous is His Name" (See Ex. 34:14). 

I was listening to a famous TV talk-show host tell how they didn't like that Bible statement... no how they really hated it, so what did this person do? She simply opted not to follow Christ, to go to church, or to be close to God at all..... but please don't do like that person did either publicly or privately. Just ask yourself this. Would you really want your God to love you so very little that He never ever cared if you went out and dated other gods? 

Was your spouse like that when you started dating each other? Is he or she like that now? I don't think so.  

Inside is it like you really desire to be strong in the Lord and to live pleasing to Him, but lately time in prayer and or in witnessing of your faith seems like a total waste of time... because you only seem to get a "No" response from God and those who hear you? I have been there before and couldn't make myself strong no matter how many churchy formulas I knew, but I want to encourage you - Jesus love you deeply, it there with you, and He is praying for you today. 

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."  7/25Heb.Nkjv 

Do you need more Bible-based Christ-centered fellowship with really upbeat, fresh-thinking believers who are serious about maturing and walk in victory? Is it really hard to get enough fellowship alone with God or with the Body of Christ due to your ever changing work schedule? Don't give up. Keep praying. Keep appealing to your authorities, Keep looking. Don't stop looking until you relocate or find a small Bible study prayer group where you fit in. 

Listen, your life depends upon it. Think for a minute about your family who needs you.. who needs you way strong in the faith. They are worth fighting for. Don't give in to that passive ..drifting away after temporal things instead of after eternal things in Christ. This is really no time to backslide spiritually off into a some empty, lonely, worldly existence or into some lame carnally-minded pursuit of pleasure. 

We don't want you out of place or disjointed in the wrong place. God can guide you - keep moving forward with Him. Keep calling out to Him and He will indeed refresh you, Christian. And if you are not yet sure that you are a born again believer.. if you are lacking an assurance of your personal salvation then the Lord can easily fix that as well. Just don't put it off until tomorrow.  facebook.com/shareJesus 

Are You Well Inside.. Are Ya Happy Inside?

How are you doing? I hope real good. I feel happy inside ..even though my circumstances ain't always so perfect.. and I'm just startin' off my day here looking at three truths from Scripture about happiness:

1.) God is joyously, exuberantly, happy, because He delights in God the Son.

2.) God is happy because He doesn't change and is totally sovereign, not half sovereign or a third sovereign.

3.) God's personal happiness is actually a foundation for our Christian living because this will actually spill on over in mercy to us who believe.

The Father says, "Behold my servant whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights" (Isa. 42:1). God is gracious and happy because He delights in how His loving nature is accurately reflected in His beloved Son.

I believe that God is happy because He is one hundred percent sovereign. Look at what Psalm 115:3 states, "Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases." That actually implies is that our Father's sovereignty is ultimately His right and His power to do whatever He desires, yes, that makes Him happy. Our God is in heaven—He be over It all.. all, All, ALL THINGS and He is subject to none, no one, and nothing.

Therefore, God pulls off whatever He pleases. God always acts in harmony with the Son and the Holy Spirit to preserve His maximum happiness. Down here on earth happiness (which so many seem to be all-out after..) evades those who seek it directly instead of seeking to make God happy. But God is happy because His righteous holy acts, which are always done out of love for His kids and to His own glory, can never be frustrated beyond His will.

See what Isaiah (chapter 43 verse 13) says, "I am God, and also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it?"

And "My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose" (Isa. 46:10).

And what Daniel said, "He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, 'What doest thou?'" (4:35).

We may be sure, therefore, that God is not selfish, but is indeed happy because He alone infinitely has absolute right and power as the Creator of it all to overcome every obstacle to His joy.

But, Kurt, how can a good God actually be happy when the sin-cursed world is so filled with human suffering and evil today?

Well, think of these two things. God is ultimately in charge and will even use the devil and his minions for His own glory.

That's was hard to grasp when my little sister, Kathy, was murdered some years ago for doing nothing wrong. My comfort and spiritual consolation didn't arrive from thinking that the Father was so weak that He couldn't divert the lost drug filled stalker-murderer from her home. It did come from knowing the Word of God personally and my assurance that He is completely sovereign. He took Kathy right after she got right with Him in prayer and in His own appointed time for her. One day I will clearly know how His will and timing has always been good.

What's God's personal attitude toward horrific, tragic events? He hurts and weeps with those who hurt and weep. And it depends on the focus of the lens so to speak.

God never delights in human pain or in the evil that people conspire against people. But if God's lens were hyper-narrow and focused merely on that injurious stuff alone, He could indeed be filled with grief-filled abhorrence alone. But when God opens His lens wider if you will.. to take in all the various connections to what happened and to all the effects of a certain event, even on into eternity future, then that certain event forms part of an intricate beautiful mosaic-ical-pattern which God would indeed delight in, and in which He wills at times. Yes, it's difficult for us ..but He allows some hurtful things to happen to Christians at times, so He will be glorified and so more people will turn and come through Christ on into His Kingdom by faith plus nothing.

Think about how He allowed for the death of His Son. Christ dying on the cross was the work of God the Father for the benefit of many. The Father has never been mean or cruel, but "We esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.. It was the will of the Lord to bruise Him and He has put him to grief" (Isa. 53:4, 10).

God the Father knew of the tremendous agony of his beloved Son Jesus. He knew of the terrible wickedness that happened all the way to the cross and the Father never delighted in those vicious things. Please know that God hates sin and the suffering of the innocent in itself. This is very abhorrent to the Father. 

Of course we need to hate sin like He hates it. But according to Hebrews 2:10 the Father thought it was fitting to perfect the Person of our salvation through suffering so He allowed it. God actually willed what He Himself abhorred "in the narrow view" because "in the broad view which includes eternity" it was an appropriate and totally fitting way to demonstrate His own righteousness (see what Paul said in Romans 3:25).

He wanted to bring His people to glory (Heb. 2:10). God is omniscient. He still surveys the scans the history of His redemptive plan from the start to the finish and He is happy with what He sees. In faith, we can choose to rejoice and be happy in Him as well.

The Lord's personal happiness spills on over in mercy to us who believe. If our Father was antsy-frustrated, rad-bummed out, and whining, and pouty, and gloomy-depressed with inverted dejection or discontentment, or even grumbling inside.. then how would that be? Would you at that time feel like joining David the Psalmist in voicing, "O God, thou art my God, I seek thee, my soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee, as in a dry and weary land where no water is" (Ps. 63:1)?

How could children today ever enjoy time with their earthy fathers at home if their dads were so bummed out like that? They couldn't. Not gunna happen.

But I'm happy that God is infinitely happy. I have joy because He is joyous. Jesus had joy and He hasn't changed either. This is basic in Christian living—yes, to find yourself joyously, head over heels in love with God… to be happy in God, to delight yourself in the Lord with no idols added into the mix.. to fully cherish, respect, and enjoy intimate fellowship with God through Christ… to worship God alone for He is merciful.

In order for any sinner like me to pursue joy in God, the sinner has got to be confident inside that the Lord will not shine him on.. hold him away.. will not reject him.. will not shut him or her out when he or she repents and asks for forgiveness and true fellowship to be established.

God ain't mad at us because of the cross and He will indeed treat each of us with mercy when we honestly repent from our sin and seek Him through Jesus. He is the One who said in Jeremiah 9:24, "'I am the Lord who performs mercy and justice and righteousness in the earth, because in these things I delight' says the Lord."

Please don't strive in seeking out to find happiness for yourself. Please don't pin finding it on yourself or on your family or on your bank account or on your cool career or on some sport or hobby. No, shift it over on to a relationship with God for, "The Lord takes pleasure in those who hope in His steadfast love."

Are you in a well church with a spiritual pastor who likes to worship the Lord, teach the Word and win souls? Sometimes churches like this are hard to find, but keep looking even if you need to relocate. I know that circumstances aren't always so "well" or ideal down here, and that some people receive their healing on the day when they go home to heaven ..when others "catch healing" from the Lord earlier. I don't understand all that, but I do say travel well my friend ..in Jesus Christ. Walk well, travel well wherever He leads you. Yes, be happy and choose to be well on multiple levels …on as many as possible. You know how the early Church was W.E.L.L. Many churches are sadly sick and inverted today, but the early church was W.E.L.L. because it had growing well believers who cared about others.

I'm using an acrostic here. 

They Worshipped God. They tactfully Evangelized sinners. They diligently and prayerfullly Learned the Scriptures and applied them properly. They Loved each other, fellowshipping with each others in the Spirit. You know living well in Christ sure beats traveling ill, angry, ungrateful, or unhappy in your spirit ..when you don't really have to be that way. I say choose for..

"Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling." ~ Margaret Lee Runbeck

Yup, it has more to do with being made right inside and with the way you live, rather than a location on earth that you end up at due to lots of sweat and goal-setting (and I'm for some sweat and wise goal-setting).

"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding." Proverbs 3:13

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~ Abraham Lincoln

If you are not a believer with right priorities, then choose to become one like Abe was. He was well / healthy spiritually. Please know assuredly today ..if I can use such an odd, old term.. that zero, null, zip, nothin' in the whole wide world can frustrate the ultimate happiness of a merciful God (the true Bible God—there's only One). 

It might sound kinda funny, but this God delights infinitely in His own glory. In His sovereignty He does and will continue to do whatever He pleases. Christian, He has your best interests at heart, so walk in His Love and in His Spirit today. If you opt to travel through this life unhappy, then why would anyone want what you have? We impart what we are. We can't export it, unless we first import it from the Lord. The Bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). facebook.com/shareJesus