We have found the Messiah

John 1:41, "He first finds his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ."

JOHN 1:37-42

Andrew was the first disciple of Jesus to share his faith and bring another to Christ. And look who it was that he brought.

Peter became one of the greatest apostles of Jesus. He preached on the day of Pentecost and saw 3,000 born again. He healed a lame man at the gate of the temple and 5,000 were born again as a result. He raised Dorcas from the dead, introduced Christianity to the Gentiles, and wrote two books of the Bible which have ministered to millions of people through the centuries.

Just think of how many millions of people Peter touched, and Andrew was responsible for it all. The accomplishments of Peter recorded in scripture, far outnumber those of Andrew, and yet without Andrew, Peter would not have known Jesus.

In the eyes of God, what Andrew did was just as important as what Peter did. As the one who introduced Peter to Jesus, Andrew had a part in every exploit of Peter. In the day when we receive our rewards from the Lord, Andrew will share in every reward that Peter receives.
Very few of us will shake our world as Peter did his, but all of us are called to share our faith with others as Andrew did. And who knows? One of those that you reach could be the next Peter.

Then allow Him to deal with them.

John 1:46, "And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see."

 

JOHN 1:43-51

 Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 qThe next day Jesus decided rto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now sPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found tNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom uMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus vof Nazareth, wthe son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, x“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, yan Israelite indeed, zin whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How ado you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, b“Rabbi, cyou are the Son of God! You are the dKing of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,13 you will see eheaven opened, and fthe angels of God ascending and descending on gthe Son of Man.”

 

** footnotes

q	Jn 1:35 Jn 2:1
r	Jn 1:28
s	Jn 12:21
t	Jn 21:2
u	Lk 16:16 Lk 24:27
v	Mt 2:23
w	Jn 6:42 Lk 3:23
x	Jn 7:41 Jn 7:52
y	Ps 73:1 Ro 9:4 Ro 9:6
z	Ps 32:2 Zep 3:13 Re 14:5
a	Jn 2:24 Jn 2:25
b	Jn 1:38
c	Jn 6:69 Jn 11:27 Jn 20:28
d	Jn 12:13 Zep 3:15 Mt 27:11 Mt 27:42 Zec 9:9
13	The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse
e	Eze 1:1 Mt 3:16 Lk 3:21
f	Ge 28:12
g	Da 7:13

 

Nathanael suffered from a skepticism that afflicts many people today.

However, it is to his credit that he came to the Lord and gave Him a chance to prove who He was.
We can only speculate what it was that Jesus saw Nathanael doing under that fig tree (v. 50), but it is very clear that it was something that proved beyond a doubt that Jesus was the Christ.

Jesus didn't rebuke Nathanael for his doubts, instead he removed them. The Lord has an answer for every doubt that we have. We need to be without guile before the Lord as Nathanael was (v. 47) and come to Him when we are plagued with doubts instead of running from Him or avoiding Him.  Go to Him with clean hands and a pure heart!

Jesus knows our frame. He remembers that we are but dust (Ps. 103:14).

 For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. 
*** 

Adam Clarke Commentary

For he knows our frame - יצרנו yitsrenu, "our formation;" the manner in which we are constructed, and the materials of which we are made. He knows we cannot contend with him, and if he uses his power against us, we must be crushed to destruction. 
In all his conduct towards us he considers the frailty of our nature, the untowardness of our circumstances, the strength and subtlety of temptation, and the sure party (till the heart is renewed) that the tempter has within us. Though all these things are against us, yet it must ever be said, whatever use we make of it, "the grace of God is sufficient for us." But alas! alas! who makes use of that sufficient grace? Here, then, is cause for condemnation. 
But, O amazing mercy! if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him; for he knows our frame, he remembers that we are but dust. The man who can say, in the face of these Scriptures, Let us sin that grace may abound, is a brute and demon, who has neither lot nor part in this thing.

 It is not a sin to doubt, but it becomes sin if we harbor those doubts. We should do as Nathanael did and bring our doubts to the Lord.

Then allow Him to deal with them.

Engineer Your Path to Joy

This is a reply to # 2,390,597

 

Mo Gawdat: "Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy" | Talks at Google




Mo Gawdat is a remarkable thinker and the Chief Business Officer at Google’s [X], an elite team of engineers that comprise Google’s futuristic “dream factory.” Applying his superior skills of logic and problem solving to the issue of happiness, he proposes an algorithm based on an understanding of how the brain takes in and processes joy and sadness. Then he solves for happy.

You can find out more about the book and Mo's work at http://www.solveforhappy.com .

In 2001 Mo Gawdat realized that despite his incredible success, he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would: examining all the provable facts and scrupulously applying logic. Eventually, his countless hours of research and Science proved successful, and he discovered the equation for permanent happiness.

Thirteen years later, Mo’s algorithm would be put to the ultimate test. After the sudden death of his son, Ali, Mo and his family turned to his equation—and it saved them from despair. In dealing with the horrible loss, Mo found his mission: he would pull off the type of “moonshot” goal that he and his colleagues were always aiming for—he would share his equation with the world and help as many people as possible become happier.

In Solve for Happy Mo questions some of the most fundamental aspects of our existence, shares the underlying reasons for suffering, and plots out a step-by-step process for achieving lifelong happiness and enduring contentment. He shows us how to view life through a clear lens, teaching us how to dispel the illusions that cloud our thinking; overcome the brain’s blind spots; and embrace five ultimate truths.

No matter what obstacles we face, what burdens we bear, what trials we’ve experienced, we can all be content with our present situation and optimistic about the future.

 ** From a reply  on  a Forum @Curezone

 

Un exemple vivant de l'Évangile

Un exemple vivant de l'Évangile est plus efficace que les mots
À quand remonte la dernière fois que vous avez utilisé votre témoignage comme outil d'évangélisation? Saint François d'Assise a dit: "Prêchez l'Evangile à tous et utilisez des mots si nécessaire." Quelle déclaration profonde!
Il disait essentiellement qu'un exemple vivant de l'Evangile est plus efficace que les mots. Les gens peuvent discuter avec vous de la doctrine ou de l'interprétation de l'Écriture, mais à moins qu'ils ne croient que vous êtes un menteur, ils ne peuvent pas discuter avec votre témoignage. C'est incroyable comme ça?

Jean 1:41, "Il trouve d'abord son propre frère Simon, et lui dit: Nous avons trouvé le Messie, qui est interprété le Christ."
JEAN 1: 37-42 NKJV

  37 Mais, bien qu'il eût fait tant de signes devant eux, ils ne croyaient pas en lui, 38 afin que s'accomplît la parole d'Ésaïe, le prophète,
"Seigneur, qui a cru notre rapport?
Et à qui le bras du Seigneur a-t-il été révélé? "[A]
39 Ils ne pouvaient donc pas croire, parce qu'Esaïe a dit encore:
40 "Il a aveuglé leurs yeux et a endurci leurs cœurs,
De peur qu'ils ne voient de leurs yeux,
De peur qu'ils ne comprennent avec leurs coeurs et se retournent,
Alors que je devrais les guérir. "[B]
41 Ces choses qu'Esaïe a dites quand il a vu sa gloire et a parlé de lui.Marcher dans la lumière
42 Cependant, même parmi les chefs, beaucoup croyaient en lui, mais à cause des pharisiens, ils ne le confessaient pas, de peur qu'ils ne soient expulsés de la synagogue.Notes de bas de page

    Jean 12:38 Esaïe 53: 1
    Jean 12:40 Esaïe 6:10
    Jean 12:41 NU-Texte se lit parce que
Andrew fut le premier disciple de Jésus à partager sa foi et à amener un autre à Christ. Et regarde qui c'est qu'il a apporté. Peter!

Pierre est devenu l'un des plus grands apôtres de Jésus. Il a prêché le jour de la Pentecôte et a vu 
3 000 nés de nouveau. Il a guéri un homme boiteux à la porte du temple et 5000 sont nés de nouveau à la suite. Il a ressuscité Dorcas d'entre les morts, introduit le christianisme aux Gentils, et a écrit deux livres de la Bible qui ont servi des millions de personnes à travers les siècles.

Pensez seulement à combien de millions de personnes Peter a touché, et Andrew était responsable de tout cela.

 Les réalisations de Pierre consignées dans les Écritures, dépassent de loin celles d'André, et pourtant, sans André, Pierre n'aurait pas connu Jésus.

Aux yeux de Dieu, ce qu'Andrew a fait était tout aussi important que ce que Pierre a fait. En tant que celui qui a présenté Pierre à Jésus, Andrew a participé à chaque exploit de Pierre. Au jour où nous recevrons nos récompenses du Seigneur, Andrew partagera chaque récompense que Pierre reçoit.

Très peu d'entre nous vont ébranler notre monde comme Pierre l'a fait, mais nous sommes tous appelés à partager notre foi avec les autres comme Andrew l'a fait. Et qui sait?


 Un de ceux que vous atteignez pourrait être l'autre Peter.

Whom can your Testimony reach effectively ?

Whom can your Testimony reach effectively?

A Living Example of the Gospel Is More Effective Than Words

When was the last time you used your testimony as an evangelism tool? Saint Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the Gospel to everyone and use words if necessary." What a profound statement! 

He was basically saying that a living example of the Gospel is more effective than words. People may argue with you about doctrine or the interpretation of Scripture, but unless they believe you're a liar, they can't argue with your testimony. How amazing is that?

John 1:41, "He first finds his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ."

JOHN 1:37-42 NKJV

  ³⁷ But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, ³⁸ that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

“Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”^[a]

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”^[b]

⁴¹ These things Isaiah said when^[c] he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

Walk in the Light

⁴² Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;

Footnotes:

1. John 12:38 Isaiah 53:1
2. John 12:40 Isaiah 6:10
3. John 12:41 NU-Text reads because

Andrew was the first disciple of Jesus to share his faith and bring another to Christ. And look who it was that he brought. Peter!

Peter became one of the greatest apostles of Jesus. He preached on the day of Pentecost and saw 3,000 born again. He healed a lame man at the gate of the temple and 5,000 were born again as a result. He raised Dorcas from the dead, introduced Christianity to the Gentiles, and wrote two books of the Bible which have ministered to millions of people through the centuries.

Just think of how many millions of people Peter touched, and Andrew was responsible for it all.
 The accomplishments of Peter recorded in scripture, far outnumber those of Andrew, and yet without Andrew, Peter would not have known Jesus.

In the eyes of God, what Andrew did was just as important as what Peter did. As the one who introduced Peter to Jesus, Andrew had a part in every exploit of Peter. In the day when we receive our rewards from the Lord, Andrew will share in every reward that Peter receives.

Very few of us will shake our world as Peter did his, but all of us are called to share our faith with others as Andrew did. And who knows?

 One of those that you reach could be the next Peter.

Share Your Testimony!

It's Time to Share Your Testimony!

A Living Example of the Gospel Is More Effective Than Words

When was the last time you used your testimony as an evangelism tool? Saint Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the Gospel to everyone and use words if necessary." What a profound statement! He was basically saying that a living example of the Gospel is more effective than words. People may argue with you about doctrine or the interpretation of Scripture, but unless they believe you're a liar, they can't argue with your testimony. How amazing is that?

 

Throughout 2018, set a personal goal to share the good news of Christ through what God has done in your life. After all, we serve a LIVING God, and His promises are as true as they were in the Bible right this second! 

 

 

Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel to everyone and use words if necessary.” What a profound statement! I believe he was saying that a living example of the Gospel is more effective than words. Some people may argue with you about doctrine or the interpretation of Scripture, but unless they believe you’re a liar, they can’t argue with your testimony.

In John 10:37-38, Jesus said,
“If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”
And in Mark 16:17-18, we read what Jesus spoke to His disciples after commanding them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Then, in verse 20, Mark went on to say, “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

There is nothing more powerful than a miracle testimony. Jesus and His disciples used them to confirm that the words that they spoke were truth. I teach our students at Charis Bible College that the Word of God changes lives, but I also teach them to use testimonies because people relate to stories. That is one of the reasons Jesus used parables to convey truth.

Because of these truths, I’ve dedicated three weeks of our January Gospel Truth television broadcasts to playing fifteen miraculous testimonies of how God has touched and changed lives. I’m expecting these programs to make a profound impact on people.
In this letter, you will read three true stories of God’s healing power. I believe that as you read these stories, faith will build in your heart. Even if you don’t need healing personally, you know someone who does, and they need your prayer of faith.

Faith, Not Works

Mike Hoesch didn’t pay much attention to the small sore on his chest. It started out as a minor annoyance—an itch that wouldn’t go away. But after a year, he decided to get it checked out.
“When I first walked into the doctor’s office, I wasn’t afraid, just curious as to what was causing this sore,” remembers Mike. “But the doctor took one look, and the next thing I knew, he had me scheduled for an emergency surgery.” Mike wasn’t clear about the diagnosis at first—malignant neoplasm—and asked his wife to research it while he returned to work.

His wife called him at work with the layman’s terminology: “malignant skin tumor.” A spirit of fear instantly gripped him. “My pastor told me not to do anything in fear, so I canceled my surgery until I could get peace,” says Mike. Mike’s doctor called him back immediately, warning him of the seriousness of his condition and letting him know that if he refused surgery, he would remove himself as his doctor.

This drove Mike further into fear, but deep down, he knew God could heal him. He turned to God’s Word. He searched the Word looking for things he could do to get God to move on his behalf. “I was taught that everything God did for me was based on my performance. As soon as I thought I’d finally measured up, the bar got raised, and I had to do more.”
As Mike struggled with confusion and discouragement, the lesion changed into a tumor and began growing at an alarming rate. “I was told that it could metastasize throughout my body, and that’s what began happening,” says Mike. “For the next five years, it clung to me and sucked the life right out of me. I grew so weak, I had to quit my job, give up the business I started, and at one point, even hold my head up to eat.”

Mike had given up hope, but then a friend brought him Andrew’s You’ve Already Got It! CD series. “I was reluctant to listen because I’d been taught that our ministry was the only one with the truth.” It was a miracle that he listened, but once he did, the message resonated with his spirit.

“God had been trying to share with me that when Jesus went to the cross, He purchased my healing. There wasn’t anything else I had to do but believe and receive. When I heard Andrew teach this and looked up the scriptures for myself, I was convinced that it really was for me. I finally understood that I’d never be able to receive as long as I thought there was some other work I had to do.”

Once Mike received the revelation of healing, no one could convince him otherwise: “I noticed after about a month, the tumor got smaller. I wasn’t surprised, because I knew I was healed. Within six months’ time, it was completely gone. I learned, like Andrew says in A Sure Foundation, that if you have God’s Word in you, you’ll always have something to stand on that won’t wash away in the storm.”

Instantly Healed

Reeling in pain and loaded up on medication to numb his body, Lance Weldgen walked gingerly into his local coffee shop, laptop under his arm. Typically, after a couple of hours, the pain in his body forced him to go home and lie flat on his back. His doctors called his condition fibromyalgia. Lance called it torture. With no known cure, the best Lance could hope for was temporary relief through the seventeen different medications he took.
Lance noticed a couple—Mike and Rose Gonyer—sitting across the room, studying their Bibles. He mustered his strength to walk over and strike up a conversation. As Lance returned to his seat, the Gonyers noticed his pain. “I went over to him and told him I could tell he was in a lot of pain,” recalls Mike. “I asked if he would share what was going on. After he told me, I invited him to Charis Bible College, where Rose and I were students.”
The intense pain kept Lance pinned to his bed and away from CBC the following day. But the next day, Lance’s wife, Gerri, got him up at five a.m., determined he would make it to the school.

After attending four classes, Lance was led into an empty classroom where Mike and Rose began praying for him. “After explaining what God’s Word says about healing, Rose said that God put it on her heart to ask if I felt worthy—valuable enough—to receive His healing,” says Lance. “For the first time, I realized that this had been my problem all along.”
Lance wasn’t prepared for what happened next: “Mike and Rose began praying for me—but not the kind of prayers I’d ever heard before. They spoke directly to my body, telling the fibromyalgia and pain to leave, and then rebuked a spirit of sickness.” Mike then told Lance to stand up and asked how he felt. “I noticed I didn’t have to grab onto anything to stand,” recalls Lance. Lance stood straight up and mentally scanned his body. One thing was noticeably missing—the pain!

Lance is now living a pain-free, abundant life as a full-time counselor at a local rescue mission. He’s using the same Holy Spirit authority that got him healed to set others free of addictions and sickness.

A Broken Heart

Jamie Scott lay on the hospital bed, holding her brand-new baby girl and feeling amazed at the miracle of childbirth. Her daughter looked perfect. But after several minutes, Jamie and the nurses observed that the baby wasn’t maintaining her natural color and kept turning white. The nurses raced her daughter to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit.

Nearly two hours had passed when the doctor returned to Jamie with grim news: Her daughter was missing a rib, a couple of major arteries, and the left side of her heart. The doctor transferred the baby to another hospital that specialized in cardiology. Good thing for Jamie, a friend had told her about Andrew Wommack Ministries just a few months prior, and Jamie had been learning truths about God’s Word ever since.

“When my friend first told me about AWM, I went to the website to see what Andrew taught,” says Jamie. “I had been raised in church, but had never heard teaching like this. I ordered several books and CDs, including The True Nature of God, which set me free in my relationship with Him. I then began watching Andrew on television where I heard his teaching God Wants You Well, and I ordered the book A Better Way to Pray.”

When the doctor’s report came, she had the confidence to stand on God’s Word: “For the first time I felt I really knew who God was,” says Jamie. “At that moment, I remembered Andrew saying how we have the power to speak God’s Word to our bodies. I laid my hands on her and commanded her heart to be whole, and I declared that she was healed by the stripes of Jesus.”

God’s peace instantly washed over Jamie, even though she was looking at her daughter’s white-colored skin and a jumble of tubes connected to her tiny body. As Jamie returned to her hospital room, the Holy Spirit spoke three words to her: “Watch Me work.”

The following day, Jamie spoke to the cardiologist, who had written a book on heart defects. He said that because the baby’s heart was not developed enough to support arteries, there was no guarantee that any type of surgery would be successful. Jamie and her husband waited and prayed, continuing to stand on God’s Word that their baby had been made whole.

Still in the hospital herself, Jamie wasn’t able to see her baby. But the next day, she spoke to a nurse who told her that her daughter’s condition had changed the night before. After viewing ultrasounds, they now saw a heart where there was no heart before and arteries where there had been none. Jamie hung up the phone and, with tears, exclaimed to her husband, “They see her heart!”

After four days in NICU, Jamie’s daughter was moved to the preemie unit and, by the end of that week, sent home with her parents. While the doctors couldn’t explain what happened, they assured Jamie that her baby was 100 percent whole. But Jamie already knew that based on God’s Word. In looking back on the experience, Jamie says with certainty, “If I didn’t learn the teachings about healing that I received through AWM, my daughter would not be here today.”

There are so many lessons to be learned from each of these stories, and these are just the tip of iceberg. My staff has now put together three DVDs called Healing Journeys I, II, and III. Each DVD has five miraculous and powerful stories. They will build your faith to receive your own healing and help you minister healing to others.

 

PowerTestimony    AWMI.net

Changez votre état d'esprit

La clé du vrai bonheur
Changez votre état d'esprit
Saviez-vous qu'une personne peut être heureuse même si tout le monde autour d'elle ne l'est pas, et que tout ce qui les entoure est en ébullition? Aujourd'hui, les gens pensent au bonheur, au lieu d'un choix personnel. Ils croient que s'ils n'avaient aucun problème, le bonheur serait inévitable. Ce n'est pas vrai.

Le bonheur n'est pas un état d'être - c'est un état d'esprit! Le vrai bonheur et le contentement ne dépendent pas des circonstances. Donc, la question est: Comment acquérons-nous le bonheur?

La réponse est simple: Traitez ce qui est à l'intérieur!

Vous ne pouvez pas toujours contrôler ce qui se passe à l'extérieur, mais vous pouvez contrôler totalement ce qui se passe à l'intérieur face à la résistance. Quand vous comprenez que vous aurez découvert l'une des plus grandes clés du bonheur! Vos problèmes ne sont pas le problème, c'est la façon dont vous les regardez.

Indépendamment du fait que les choses sont mauvaises dans cette vie, nous avons une si merveilleuse éternité promise à chacun de nous que tous nos ennuis pâlissent en comparaison!

Débloquez votre bonheur aujourd'hui avec l'aide de cet enseignement gratuit en sélectionnant le lien ci-dessous.

 ====
Tout le monde aspire au bonheur, mais peu le possèdent. La poursuite de celui-ci est universelle et intemporelle. Il y a des générations, les auteurs de la Déclaration d'indépendance des États-Unis ont reconnu ce désir. Dans ce document, ils ont écrit que chaque homme est enduré par leur Créateur avec certains droits inaliénables, dont l'un est la poursuite du bonheur.

Pour la plupart des gens, cependant, le bonheur est insaisissable. Pour le rendre encore plus insaisissable, on a dit à beaucoup de chrétiens que la sainteté et le bonheur ne vont pas ensemble. C'est parce que dans l'église, on a mis l'accent sur Jésus comme un homme de douleur, familiarisé avec le chagrin.
Esaïe 53: 5 dit,
"Mais il a été blessé pour nos transgressions, il a été meurtri pour nos iniquités: le châtiment de notre paix était sur lui; et avec ses raies nous sommes guéris. "

Cependant, ce n'est pas toute l'histoire. La même Bible qui dit que Jésus a souffert dit aussi qu'Il a été oint de l'huile de joie au-dessus de tout le monde et que la joie du Seigneur est notre force.
"Tu as aimé la justice, et tu as haï l'iniquité; c'est pourquoi Dieu, ton Dieu même, t'a oint d'une huile de joie au-dessus de tes semblables »(Hébreux 1: 9).

Il leur dit: Allez, mangez de la graisse, et buvez le bonbon, et envoyez-leur des portions pour lesquelles rien n'est préparé; car ce jour est saint pour notre Seigneur; Car la joie de l'Eternel est ta force "(Néhémie 8:10).

Pas de joie, pas de force. C'est l'une des raisons pour lesquelles nous avons beaucoup de chrétiens faibles.
Alors, le vrai bonheur est-il disponible? Et si oui, comment l'obtenons-nous?

Premièrement, permettez-moi de dire qu'il y a beaucoup d'Écritures qui nous commandent de nous réjouir et d'être heureux (Psaume 32:11, 40:16, 68: 3, 70: 4, d'en citer quelques-uns). Certains commandent spécifiquement se réjouir au milieu de la détresse (Psaume 34: 1, Matthieu 5:12, et Jean 16:33). Le peuple d'Israël a même été puni parce qu'il n'a pas servi le Seigneur avec joie et joie de cœur pour l'abondance de toutes les choses que le Seigneur avait faites.

«Parce que tu n'as pas servi l'Éternel, ton Dieu, avec joie et avec allégresse, pour l'abondance de toutes choses; C'est pourquoi tu serviras tes ennemis que l'Eternel enverra contre toi, dans la faim, et dans la soif, et dans la nudité, et dans le manque de tout; et il mettra un joug de fer sur ton cou jusqu'à ce qu'il te détruise. (Deutéronome 28: 47-48).

Donc, si la joie était un commandement et que les gens étaient punis pour ne pas se réjouir, alors le bonheur est quelque chose que nous pouvons contrôler. Sinon, le Seigneur aurait été injuste en nous ordonnant de le faire.
Aujourd'hui, les gens pensent que le bonheur est un résultat, au lieu d'un choix. Ils croient que s'ils n'avaient pas de problèmes et s'ils avaient une abondance de bonnes choses, le bonheur serait le résultat inévitable. Ce n'est pas vrai.

Le bonheur n'est pas un état d'être; c'est un état d'esprit. Une personne peut être heureuse quand tout le monde et tout autour d'elle sont dans la tourmente. Ils peuvent être satisfaits, peu importe les conditions financières ou physiques. Le vrai bonheur et le contentement ne dépendent pas des circonstances.
Prenons Paul comme exemple. L'apôtre Paul a écrit le livre des Philippiens alors qu'il était en prison à Rome. Il était en prison depuis deux ans en Israël, un an en transit à Rome et une période non divulguée à Rome. Il faisait face à une exécution possible.

Pourtant, sa lettre aux Philippiens est la lettre la plus heureuse de tout ce qu'il a écrit. Il a mentionné se réjouir dix-sept fois dans cette courte lettre. Comment cela pourrait-il être? Quel était le secret de Paul? Le livre des Philippiens nous donne les clés que Paul a utilisées pour obtenir un tel succès.
Dans Philippiens 4:11 Paul a dit,
"J'ai appris, quel que soit mon état, à être content."

--  
être appris. Cela ne nous apparaît pas comme une crise, et nous ne l'attrapons pas comme un rhume. C'est un trait acquis. Comment acquérons-nous le bonheur?
 D'abord, nous devons faire face à ce qui se passe à l'intérieur. La plupart des gens adoptent une approche différente. Ils veulent faire face à l'extérieur. Ils prient pour que leurs problèmes soient résolus et que seules de bonnes choses et de bonnes personnes leur parviennent. Laissez-moi vous donner un indice: Cela n'arrivera pas Tant que nous serons dans ce monde, nous aurons des problèmes (Jean 16:33). Et si nous vivons pour Dieu, nous aurons des persécutions (2 Tim 3:12).  
Si vous ne tombez jamais dans le diable, c'est parce que vous allez dans la même direction. Lorsque vous vous retournez et commencez à nager en amont, vous rencontrerez toujours une résistance. Les gens et les circonstances peuvent commencer à travailler contre vous. Vous ne pouvez pas toujours contrôler ce qui se passe à l'extérieur, mais vous pouvez totalement contrôler ce qui se passe à l'intérieur face à cette résistance. Quand vous aurez compris cela, vous aurez découvert l'une des plus grandes clés du bonheur.  

En outre, vous serez sur votre chemin pour éliminer le chagrin dans votre vie. J'ai écrit une petite brochure intitulée Self-Centeredness: The Root of All Grief. Cela montre à quel point l'égoïsme est à la racine de tout notre chagrin. Je sais que c'est une pilule difficile à avaler pour beaucoup. Mais c'est parce que nous vivons dans une société qui a appris à blâmer les circonstances et les autres, plutôt que de prendre des responsabilités personnelles. Par exemple, Proverbes 13:10 montre très clairement que la façon dont les autres nous traitent n'est pas la cause des conflits. c'est notre fierté: "Seulement par la fierté vient la discorde: mais avec la bonne conseillée est la sagesse." Si nous n'étions pas si amoureux de nous-mêmes, si orgueilleux et égocentrique, nous ne serions pas si sensibles à toutes les choses frottez-vous dans le mauvais sens. Cela se résume vraiment à notre amour de soi. Une des choses les plus libératrices au monde est d'aimer quelqu'un d'autre que soi-même. Et quand celui que tu aimes le plus est Dieu, tu te réjouiras quand il sera glorifié, même si cela arrive par ta souffrance. C'est ce que Paul a fait. Dans Philippiens, chapitre 1, l'apôtre Paul essayait de réconforter les Philippiens.  
Ce sont des gens spéciaux pour Paul, et il était spécial pour eux. Dans Philippiens 4: 15-16, Paul a dit que les Philippiens étaient la seule église qui lui avait donné après avoir quitté leur région. Ils l'ont fait non seulement une fois, mais ils l'ont fait deux fois et se seraient associés avec lui davantage s'ils avaient su où il était. Il voulait leur assurer que tout allait bien pour lui. Comment a-t-il fait ça? Paul leur dit que toutes ses souffrances avaient fait avancer le royaume de Dieu. Dans 
Philippiens 1: 12-18, Paul dit: «Mais je veux que vous compreniez, frères, que ce qui m'est arrivé est tombé plutôt dans le but de faire avancer les choses. gospel; De sorte que mes liens en Christ sont manifestes dans tout le palais et dans tous les autres lieux; Et beaucoup de frères dans le Seigneur, confiants par mes liens, sont beaucoup plus hardis de dire la parole sans crainte. Certains prêchent même le Christ d'envie et de querelle; et certains aussi de bonne volonté: L'un prêche le Christ de la contestation, pas sincèrement, en supposant ajouter l'affliction à mes liens: Mais l'autre de l'amour, sachant que je suis prêt pour la défense de l'évangile. Quoi alors? 

 Néanmoins, de toutes les manières, que ce soit sous prétexte ou en vérité, le Christ est prêché; et moi, je m'en réjouis, oui, et je me réjouirai. »Cela dit des volumes! Paul aimait Dieu et l'avancement de son royaume plus qu'il ne s'aimait lui-même. Si le royaume de Dieu était mieux à cause de l'emprisonnement de Paul, alors tout valait la peine. Quelle belle attitude. Nous ferions bien de l'adopter. 
Quand Dieu et les autres sont plus importants pour vous que vous, alors vous êtes sur votre chemin vers le bonheur. Mais si vous êtes tous enveloppés dans vous-même, vous faites un très petit paquet. Et c'est là que se trouve le principal obstacle au contentement et au bonheur. La plupart des gens sont dépendants de soi-même comme les toxicomanes sont à la drogue. Ils ne sont jamais satisfaits. Et cette insatisfaction égocentrique est la plus grande porte ouverte de Satan pour la tentation. Il a utilisé l'intérêt personnel pour tempérer Adam et Eve, même s'ils vivaient dans un monde parfait sans un seul problème. "Mais du fruit de l'arbre qui est au milieu du jardin, Dieu a dit: Vous ne mangerez pas de Ne le touchez pas, de peur que vous ne mouriez. Et le serpent dit à la femme: Vous ne mourrez point, car Dieu sait que le jour où vous en mangerez, alors vos yeux s'ouvriront, et vous serez comme des dieux, connaissant le bien et le mal »(Genèse 3: 3-5). 

Même les disciples de Jésus n'étaient pas satisfaits de Lui. Malgré tout ce qu'ils l'avaient vu faire, ils voulaient encore plus de preuves extérieures de qui il était. "Philippe lui dit: Seigneur, montre-nous le Père, et cela nous suffit" (Jean 14: 8). Nous ne pouvons jamais vraiment satisfaire . Nous devons juste le nier. Nous devons mourir à soi-même et placer Dieu et les autres en avant de soi. C'est plus facile à dire qu'à faire, mais une fois que nous mourons à nous-mêmes, le bonheur est juste autour du coin. Deuxièmement, nous devons faire face à ce qui est à l'extérieur, notre situation.

 Où Paul a donné un aperçu sur la façon de faire cela dans 2 Corinthiens 4: 17-18, qui dit: «Car notre légère affliction, qui n'est que pour un moment, nous opère un poids de gloire plus éminent et éternel; Tant que nous ne regardons pas les choses qui sont vues, mais les choses qui ne sont pas vues, car les choses qui sont vues sont temporelles; mais les choses qui ne sont pas vues sont éternelles. "Paul a dit que son affliction était seulement la lumière. Il n'a pas dit ça parce qu'il n'avait pas de problèmes. Vous pouvez lire une liste de ses "afflictions lumineuses" dans 2 Corinthiens 11: 23-30.

 La liste comprend les coups de fouets et de bâtons, la prison, le naufrage, la faim et la soif à cause de son travail de mission, et bien d'autres. Alors, comment pouvons-nous parler de notre lourde charge quand Paul a appelé tous ses problèmes, qui étaient bien pires que tout ce que nous avons souffert, juste des afflictions légères?
Vous voyez, ce ne sont pas vos problèmes qui sont le problème; c'est la façon dont vous percevez vos problèmes et la valeur que vous leur accordez qui en fait un problème. Paul a dit que toutes ses afflictions n'étaient que pour un moment. C'était dire qu'ils étaient de courte durée comparés à l'éternité. Paul a tout mis dans la perspective de l'éternité. Sans tenir compte de la gravité des choses dans cette vie, nous avons une éternité si merveilleuse promise à chacun de nous que tous nos problèmes pâlissent en comparaison. Romains 8:18 dit, "Car je pense que le les souffrances du temps présent ne sont pas dignes d'être comparées à la gloire qui sera révélée en nous. "Notre avenir est si brillant, nous devons plisser les yeux pour le regarder.

 Toutes les souffrances de cette vie sont courtes et insignifiantes comparées à l'éternité et à tous les plaisirs que le Seigneur nous réserve. Garder cela à l'esprit réduira nos problèmes à une taille gérable. Paul a également dit dans 2 Corinthiens 4:18 qu'il n'a pas regardé les choses temporaires de la terre mais qu'il était concentré sur les choses éternelles du ciel. Si nous cherchons seulement le bonheur dans cette vie, alors nous allons être misérables (1 Corinthiens 15:19).

 Notre vrai bonheur réside dans Jésus et notre futur avec Lui. Si nous sommes dans la foi, nous pouvons avoir la joie ineffable et pleine de gloire maintenant, dans cette vie (1 Pi. 1: 8).
 C'est notre ancre dans l'éternité qui empêche nos coeurs d'être troublés (Jean 14: 1-3). Il y a beaucoup d'autres vérités importantes que l'apôtre Paul a révélées au sujet du bonheur. Dans ma série en cinq parties intitulée Comment être heureux, j'enseigne ces vérités qui sont aussi des clés du bonheur.
 Je crois que c'est absolument essentiel pour tout chrétien de comprendre.

The Key to True Happines

The Key to True Happiness

Change Your State of Mind

Did you know that a person can be happy even when everyone around them is not, and everything surrounding them is in turmoil? Today people think of happiness as a result, instead of a personal choice. They believe that if they didn't have any problems, happiness would be inevitable. That's not true.

Happiness isn't a state of being--it's a state of mind! True happiness and contentment isn't dependent upon circumstances. So, the question is: How do we acquire happiness?

The answer is simple: Deal with what's on the inside!

You can't always control what goes on outside, but you can totally control what goes on inside when faced with resistance. When you understand that you will have discovered one of the greatest keys to happiness! Your problems aren't the problem, it's the way you look at them. 

Regardless of how bad things are in this life, we have such a wonderful eternity promised to each of us that all our troubles pale in comparison!

Unlock your happiness today with the help of this free teaching by selecting the link below.

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Everyone longs for happiness, but few possess it. The pursuit of it is universal and timeless. Generations ago, the writers of the United States Declaration of Independence recognized that longing. In it they wrote that every man is endued by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, one of which is the pursuit of happiness.

For most people, however, happiness is elusive. To make it even more elusive, many Christians have been told that holiness and happiness just don’t go together. That’s because in the church, there has been an emphasis placed on Jesus as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
Isaiah 53:5 says,
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

However, that is not the whole story. The same Bible that says Jesus suffered also says He was anointed with the oil of gladness above everyone else and that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Heb. 1:9).

“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh. 8:10).

No joy—no strength. This is one of the reasons we have a lot of weak Christians.
So, is true happiness obtainable? And if so, how do we get it?

First, let me say there are many scriptures that command us to rejoice and be glad (Ps. 32:11, 40:16, 68:3, 70:4, to list a few). Some specifically command rejoicing in the midst of trouble (Ps. 34:1, Matt. 5:12, and John 16:33). The people of Israel were even punished because they didn’t serve the Lord with joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all the things the Lord had done.

“Because you served not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee” (Deut. 28:47-48).

So, if joy was a command and people were punished for not rejoicing, then happiness is something we can control. Otherwise, the Lord would have been unjust in commanding us to do it.
Today people think happiness is a result, instead of a choice. They believe that if they didn’t have any problems and if they had an abundance of good things, happiness would be the inevitable result. That’s not true.

Happiness isn’t a state of being; it’s a state of mind. A person can be happy when everyone and everything around them is in turmoil. They can be content no matter what the financial or physical conditions might be. True happiness and contentment isn’t dependent upon circumstances.
Take Paul as an example. The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians while he was in prison in Rome. He had been in prison for two years in Israel, one year in transit to Rome and an undisclosed amount of time in Rome. He was facing possible execution.

Yet, his letter to the Philippians is the happiest letter of any he wrote. He mentioned rejoicing seventeen times in this short letter. How could this be? What was Paul’s secret? The book of Philippians gives us the keys Paul used to obtain such success.
In Philippians 4:11 Paul said,
“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Notice that contentment is something the Apostle Paul learned. It didn’t come naturally or without effort. None of us came out of the womb reading and writing; we had to learn through years of effort. Likewise, contentment, which is a major component of happiness, has to be learned. It doesn’t come on us like a seizure, and we don’t catch it like a cold. It is an acquired trait.

How do we acquire happiness? First, we need to deal with what’s on the inside. Most people take a different approach. They want to deal with the outside. They pray for their problems to be solved and that only good things and good people will come their way. Let me give you a clue: That ain’t going to happen!

As long as we are in this world, we will have problems (John 16:33). And if we are living for God, we will have persecutions (2 Tim. 3:12). If you never bump into the devil, it’s because you’re going in the same direction. When you turn around and start swimming upstream, you will always encounter resistance. People and circumstance might start working against you.

You can’t always control what goes on outside, but you can totally control what goes on inside when faced with that resistance. When you understand that, you will have discovered one of the greatest keys to happiness. In addition, you will be on your way to eliminating grief in your life.

I have written a little booklet called Self-Centeredness: The Root of All Grief. It shows how selfishness really is at the root of all our grief. I know that’s a hard pill to swallow for many. But that’s because we live in a society that has learned to blame circumstances and other people, rather than taking personal responsibility.

For example, Proverbs 13:10 makes it very clear that the way others treat us is not the root of contentions; it’s our pride:
“Only by pride comes contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”

If we weren’t so in love with ourselves, so prideful and self-centered, we wouldn’t be so sensitive to all the things that rub self the wrong way. It really comes down to our love of self.

One of the most liberating things in the world is to love someone else more than your self. And when the one you love more is God, you will rejoice when He is glorified, even if that happens through your suffering.

That’s what Paul did. In Philippians, chapter 1, the Apostle Paul was trying to comfort the Philippians. These were special people to Paul, and he was special to them. In Philippians 4:15-16, Paul said the Philippians were the only church that ever gave to him after he left their area. They did this not only once, but they did it twice and would have partnered with him more if they had known where he was.

He wanted to assure them that everything was all right with him. How did he do that? He told them that all his suffering had furthered the kingdom of God.

In Philippians 1:12-18 Paul says,
“But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”

That says volumes! Paul loved God and the furtherance of His kingdom more than he loved himself. If the kingdom of God was better off because of Paul’s imprisonment, then it was all worth it. What a great attitude. We would do well to adopt it.

When God and others are more important to you than yourself, then you are well on your way to happiness. But if you are all wrapped up in yourself, you make a very small package. And therein lies the number one obstacle to contentment and happiness.

Most people are addicted to self like addicts are to drugs. They are never satisfied. And this self-centered dissatisfaction is Satan’s greatest open door for temptation. He used self-interest to temp Adam and Eve, even though they lived in a perfect world without a single problem.

“But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:3-5).

Even Jesus’ disciples weren’t satisfied with Him. Despite all they had seen Him do, they still wanted more outward proof of who He was.

“Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (John 14:8).
We can never truly satisfy self. We just have to deny it. We have to die to self and place God and others ahead of self. That’s easier said than done, but once we die to ourselves, happiness is just around the corner.

Second, we need to deal with what’s outside, our circumstances. Paul gave great insight into how to do that in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, which says,
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Paul said his affliction was only light. He didn’t say that because he didn’t have problems. You can read a list of his “light afflictions” in 2 Corinthians 11:23-30. The list includes beatings with whips and rods, prison, shipwreck, hunger and thirst because of his mission work, and many more. So, how can we speak about our heavy load when Paul called all his problems, which were much worse than anything we have suffered, just light afflictions?

You see, it’s not your problems that are the problem; it’s the way you see your problems and the value you place on them that makes them a problem. Paul said all his afflictions were but for a moment. That was saying they were short-lived compared to eternity. Paul put everything into the perspective of eternity.

Regardless of how bad things are in this life, we have such a wonderful eternity promised to each of us that all our troubles pale in comparison.

Romans 8:18 says,
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Our future is so bright, we have to squint to look at it. All the sufferings of this life are short and insignificant compared to eternity and all the pleasures the Lord has in store for us. Keeping this in mind will shrink our problems down to a manageable size.

Paul also said in 2 Corinthians 4:18 that he didn’t look at the temporary things of earth but that he was focused on the eternal things of heaven. If we are only looking for happiness in this life, then we are going to be miserable (1 Cor. 15:19). Our true happiness lies in Jesus and our future with Him. If we are in faith, we can have joy unspeakable and full of glory now, in this life (1 Pet. 1:8). It’s our anchor in eternity that keeps our hearts from being troubled (John 14:1-3).

There are many other important truths that the Apostle Paul revealed about happiness. In my five-part series entitled How to Be Happy, I teach these truths which are also keys to happiness.

 I believe this is absolutely essential for every Christian to understand.