Let's Get Happy

Do you know anyone who would like to live from day to day eating their food with gladness and simplicity of heart? Well Acts 2:46 tells us that the early church lived this way. When we look at the depth of this we see that gladness means; Rejoicing that displaces worry and gloom and fills the mind with joy. Simplicity of heart means; Having a satisfied, sincere, thankful and pure heart desiring the things of God and not the things of the world.

Unfortunately many believers today look at the early church and somehow think that their world was problem and trial free, that life was just simple and carefree. This kind of thinking is far from the truth. The early church faced more opposition than believers in the USA have ever faced, yet they had gladness and simplicity of heart. The main reason for this kind of lifestyle is because they took their Christianity very seriously. When they confessed the Lordship of Jesus Christ, they understood that all of their rights, opinions and views were freely forfeited to Christ their King! The Apostle Paul reveals this very thing to the church at Corinth, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
(I Corinthians 6:20) We must keep in mind that the first converts were Jews. This means that they would face disfellowship by the religious leaders and family members who feared the religious leaders (See John 9)

On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) Peter preached Christ and exhorted the people to "Be saved from this perverse generation". Today the world is still very much perverse but God's Word still stands as a guiding light to truth. Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE." (John 8:31-32). Paul tells us, "So then FAITH comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) Gladness and simplicity of heart comes to anyone whose foundation is the Word of God and BELIEVES! This is not a general or unspecifed faith in Christ, but a directed faith the Jesus perfectly reveals the Father's will in actions, attitudes, words and commands and God's will has not changed. What they experienced in the early church should be experienced today! All it takes is faith.