Finding happiness-- mercy or tolerance?

In the beatitudes Jesus says "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."  Matthew 5:7

Mercy goes so far beyond tolerance!

TOLERANCE SAYS…	MERCY SAYS…
Respect people who are different from you	Serve people who are different from you
Tolerate people who offend you	Forgive people who offend you
“Whatever makes you happy” is the ultimate goal	Happiness is a byproduct of the ultimate goal of pleasing God
God’s kindness affirms you can do whatever you want	God’s kindness leads us to repentance
My open-mindedness is the highest virtue	Laying down your life for others is the highest virtue
No one has sinned unless it really hurts someone else	All of us have sinned and desperately need God
Choose whatever path makes you happy	I care enough to engage you if your path is destructive to you or to others
“I’m ok and you’re ok”	“I’m not okay and you’re not ok, but we both are loved and have hope”
When you suffer, “that’s a bummer”	I’ll walk with you and carry your burdens
Who am I (or are you) to judge?	If we turn from sin, mercy triumphs over judgment
I’ll accept you	I’ll lay down my life for you

Why God Made the Church

I'm sharing a post from "Today in the Word" a daily devotional from Moody Bible Institute.
I was struck by God's perspective of the church (looking beyond the character's name) :-)

Ephesians 3:10-13 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,  in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.  So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. Greg sat with his mother by the lake and explained why he didn’t feel it was necessary to attend church. He pointed to the sun that had just started to dip below the horizon. “You won’t see anything as beautiful as that in any church,” he said. The two watched it set the sky aflame in hues of orange and yellow. “This is my church!” Greg concluded. Many people agree with Greg’s point of view. They wonder why church is such a big deal. Why not worship God alone in the woods or by the lake? Yet in today’s passage it is clear that church is important to God. He intends to put the church on display to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Paul uses similar language in Ephesians 1:21 and Colossians 1:16 in contexts that seem to refer to angelic powers. The church is doing more than meeting and worshiping. It functions as a cosmic trophy to the manifold wisdom and grace of God. How does this take place? This cosmic purpose of God is accomplished through Jesus Christ. The church’s existence testifies to the power and wisdom of Christ. It is not the church’s programs or its dynamic leaders that provoke the cosmic powers to marvel. It is rather the bold confidence with which any believer can approach God. Even the humblest believer enjoys the kind of direct access to God that might give the angels cause to envy. The angels are deeply interested in the Christ’s redeeming work (1 Peter 1:12). God’s big plan for the church was a source of encouragement for Paul as he suffered for the sake of the gospel. Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was often marked by suffering. This included imprisonment, hunger, and beatings (2 Cor. 11:23–30). KEY VERSE Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments! (Romans 11:33) http://www.todayintheword.com/

Finding happy

hap·py  /ˈhapē/ 

a sense of well-being not dependent on circumstances.

Jesus said we're blessed when we're at the end our rope, because then the kingdom of heaven belongs to us.

He said we're blessed when we're deeply saddened over our own sin and the suffering of others.

He said the people who will inherit the earth are the ones who are meek-- those who typify strength under control. (paraphrasing Matthew 5:3-5)

So how does all that line up with recent events?  Hurricane Sandy?  The first 2 definitely apply.  The election?  Any of them could apply depending on where you sit...

I came across an article stating the determining factors for happiness are 1) your level of emotional maturity, and 2) your ability to be present in the moment. That rings pretty true when you run it through the filter of who Jesus is and what He taught.

When things go the way you want-- of course you're happy.  But when they don't what happens?  Do you throw in the towel?  Do you choke somebody with the towel? 

Or do you pray and seek to hear what Jesus is saying through His Word, the Bible? We can twist Bible verses to affirm throwing in the towel (or even choking others).

Think about what one guy said when he was imprisoned for his faith, sitting in a cold dark cell, writing to followers of Jesus who were being severely persecuted by the State (Rome), by people from their religious heritage (Judaism) and by a proliferation of false teachers:

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

That's challenging and encouraging, and probably a good prescription: "Take several times a day as needed..."