JOY

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Once upon a time, over a hundred years ago, there was a man who made an unusual call on a pastor and made some rather unusual statements.

“Pastor,” he said as he sat down the ministers’ desk, “I am a good Christian and I can prove it.”

“Well, now,” responded the pastor, “and how are you going to do that.”

“Each morning when I get up I dress all in white.”

“All in white? And then what do you do.”
I put nails in my shoes.”

“Nails in your shoes.. For heavens sake, why do you do that?”

“For self mortification,” replied the man.

“Uh – um, and then what do you do?”

“I go out and I run naked in the snow in winter or if it is summer in the hottest part of the day. That way I am either cold and miserable or over heated and on the edge of a sunstroke.”

“And?”

“Before I go back home,” I stop by the blacksmiths shop and have him give me 40 lashes on my bareback.”

“And you believe this makes you a Christian?”

“I have suffered,” replied the man. “I have given up all joy and pleasure.”

Just then the sound of a horse was heard coming down the street and the minister went to the window and called the man over and pointed to the horse.

“See that horse, that is farmer Browns’ horse. He dresses in white all day and all night.

He has nails in his shoes.

He runs naked in the snow and on the hottest of days suffers from the heat.

And I am sure farmer Brown gives him at least 40 lashes a day…but he is still a horse.
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“Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! Philippians 4:4”
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There are those whose attitudes and actions do speak of the joy the Christian faith offers.
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“I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Psalm 122:1
To be a Christian certainly does not mean to seek suffering but rather reacting to suffering in a positive way.
“Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always).”
1 Thessalonians 5: 16
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