Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

1Thess.5:16 Rejoice always.

Some people see Christianity as a competition, they read Paul's words here, and act like they rejoice always, than compare themselves letting you know that they are better, closer to God because they are rejoicing always in the Lord! They keep score reminding you your not as good, you have a problem because your not rejoicing like them and their bubbly personality!

Proverbs 20:6 Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?

Such become an irritant like a clashing cymbal in your ear. Christ groan in his spirit, he sighed in his spirit, and wept blood, was he not rejoicing? Christ never sinned! Subsequently, one should see quickly that context and balance is everything in reading the scripture, letting your reasonableness be know to all men. Is the truth a lie? Is it an act? Is it real, or is truth fair, justice and compassionate?

James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

The goal, the hope, the help we need is to rejoice in truth and Spirit, it should be our aim to rejoice because we are in the Spirit of Christ, where the fruits of Holy Spirit are grown without sin. It is the place we walk in love, it is the personality we have been so wonderfully given not by our goodness, but of God's. Yes, we have been given from above a new personality one found in the head of the body , Christ, Christ personality. In that help, in that love beyond are fallen flesh we can rejoice always, we can be free from the evil of our thoughts and flesh.

Rom.12:1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 12:2 Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. 12:3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. 12:4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don't have the same function, 12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 12:6 Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;

Spirit and truth is not act, its not something we do like a legalist whom obeys a law thinking that if he plies himself long enough it will become him. Truth and Spirit is given freely, it is a gift from God too us as his children, not a competition for boasting in our flesh, for there is no flesh in Christ it is dead. We don't have a score card, marking off which times we are rejoicing and what times were not, so we can present to God as merit bagged from some religious group as a browny points.

Rom.8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 8:36 Even as it is written, "For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter."{Psalm 44:22} 8:37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What we have as Christian's is the life of Christ indwelling us that rejoices in loving the Father YHWH, it is the Spirit that gives us life in our mortal bodies, our flesh is dead. It is the very life source we are grafted into the tree of life, Christ Jesus that we live and produce fruits of rejoicing before God, not man! Let us reach for the highest goal of being filled constantly with God's Spirit so we may live in Christ filled with his life for the glory of God. Let us remove judgment of others, not judging them or we cannot rejoice because we are comparing our goodness against theirs, and not living in Christ when we do that; for those judgments are dead in Christ so rejoice in the free gift of undeserved kindness.

1 Peter 4:13 But because you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy.

1 Peter 1:6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

See also: www.nu-truth.com