Part of what drew me to Jesus was the joy I saw in believers the first time
I moved 1000 miles from home and family,
joy that I had never seen in anyone all my life -
a lot of happiness yes, many places, but that is a huge difference
from joy. (joy in any circumstance, no matter what happened; and not without
sorrow as even Jesus is a man of sorrow, acqainted with grief (as written) ) ...
Anyway, joy and life and no condemnation, no guilt for not having that joy,
rather a 'salty' (GOOD SALT) effect of seeing believer with the life of Jesus in them every day
made me hungry and thirsty for the Kingdom of God
so that more and more day after day I desired His Kingdom , true fellowship with Him, in Jesus,
as written over and over IN SCRIPTURE (GOD'S WORD) amongst the assemblies in the NT.
Where is that TODAY ? Where are the assemblies TODAY with overflowing JOY, HOPE, PEACE and Rightness with God as seen in the NT ? (and simple, gentle
with no condemnation nor accusations trying to "make" others believe) ....
Very much like written "out of their innermost beings flowed rivers of living water" -
healing,
peaceful, in harmony with God, in Jesus in union with Him, daily,
and DOING HIS WORD - (specifically, identifiably, without any effort of trying - and no thought of disobeying - helping the poor whenever we saw them, in our midst or strangers passing through, each and every member without hesitation joyously obedient
every day for whatever God provided to do) ....
Is it possible any more for a whole congregation to live in this joy and life of Jesus ?
Or is it like the letters in Revelation where only some of the members of the assemblies were holding fast to the Name of Jesus, not going along with jezebel or idolators or 'lukewarm' ?
I moved 1000 miles from home and family,
joy that I had never seen in anyone all my life -
a lot of happiness yes, many places, but that is a huge difference
from joy. (joy in any circumstance, no matter what happened; and not without
sorrow as even Jesus is a man of sorrow, acqainted with grief (as written) ) ...
Anyway, joy and life and no condemnation, no guilt for not having that joy,
rather a 'salty' (GOOD SALT) effect of seeing believer with the life of Jesus in them every day
made me hungry and thirsty for the Kingdom of God
so that more and more day after day I desired His Kingdom , true fellowship with Him, in Jesus,
as written over and over IN SCRIPTURE (GOD'S WORD) amongst the assemblies in the NT.
Where is that TODAY ? Where are the assemblies TODAY with overflowing JOY, HOPE, PEACE and Rightness with God as seen in the NT ? (and simple, gentle
with no condemnation nor accusations trying to "make" others believe) ....
Very much like written "out of their innermost beings flowed rivers of living water" -
healing,
peaceful, in harmony with God, in Jesus in union with Him, daily,
and DOING HIS WORD - (specifically, identifiably, without any effort of trying - and no thought of disobeying - helping the poor whenever we saw them, in our midst or strangers passing through, each and every member without hesitation joyously obedient
every day for whatever God provided to do) ....
Is it possible any more for a whole congregation to live in this joy and life of Jesus ?
Or is it like the letters in Revelation where only some of the members of the assemblies were holding fast to the Name of Jesus, not going along with jezebel or idolators or 'lukewarm' ?