Cinderella sings, “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” As I watch the movie I sigh, “ahhhhhh, if only dreams came true”. Well what do you know! God says in Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I can actually obtain these desires of my heart because of God’s gracious love for me. The only problem is I often fail to delight myself in the Lord. I put ridiculous things like a half hour nap before him. There are so many times I fail to give the glory to God by not throwing away my worries and delighting myself in him. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Even as I write this, the time crunching pressures of school are beating on me, yet he gives me so much peace as I give it up to him. What a wonderful God we have.
Luke 12:22-25 – Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Friday, April 30, 2010
Blessed Are The Peacemakers by Mary Beth Byrne
Beatitudes of Jesus: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matt. 5:9
Have you ever considered yourself to be a “peacemaker?” Do you listen to both sides of a situation and help negotiate an acceptable and peaceful outcome? Think about your role in your family ~~ are you the family comic? the family agitator? the family leader? or the family peacemaker? What role do you take on in YOUR family? in your living arrangement at school? on your job? in your social circles?
Jesus makes frequent reference to peace and peacemaking in his teachings in the New Testament. Remember that the angels hailed his birth by singing, “Peace on earth.” He said, “Love your enemies. . .do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you.” (Matt. 5:44) In John’s Gospel we read of Jesus’ last bequest for peace, “My peace I give unto you.” (John 14:27) Jesus Christ came as the Prince of Peace, teaching us to reconcile with God for peace within our own souls, as well as for peace with each other. The peace known in the Bible comes from trust, love and obedience toward God.
The Bible contains many stories of conflict, contention, and major avoidance among God’s people. Remember how the Jews hated and treated the Samaritans? In every age nations have been at odds, homes and businesses have been torn apart by strife, and our individual lives and souls have become alienated from God. Our history books are full of the details of conflicts and wars, not just from the past, but right up to the present day. Conflicts and alienation continue even in what we refer to as “The Holy Land.” Signs of “Pray for Peace” appear on every tour bus and in many shop windows. And yet negotiations between the Palestinians and the Jews remain at a standstill.
But, you may ask, what does this have to do with ME?
Some scholars of the early Church took this beatitude in a purely spiritual sense, and thought that it meant, “Blessed is the one who makes peace in his/her own heart and soul. . . .”
How and when have you experienced the kind of inner peace that Jesus’ teachings refer to??
What are you willing to do to maintain that kind of inner peace in practicing the presence of God? What strategies do you use to deal with the struggle in your own life between good and evil.
We can look at the multitude of decisions we are called to make every day. . .did we make good choices? Or did we take out our inner anger on our roommates, classmates, professors, parents?? Consider “The Law of the Garbage Truck!”
One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"
This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so....Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! Have a garbage-free day!
Being in a right relationship with God allows all of us to live every day as a garbage-free day! Peacemakers—makers of peace—are few, primarily because it is so much easier to fan the flames of past hurts and prejudices, and to keep the arguments going. Jesus made peace. (Eph. 2:14-18), and calls each of us to become peacemakers. As our inner peace and relationship with God grows, our ability to be about the work of peace becomes easier.
Making peace, though, is NO easy task! When we see something that needs to be done we can’t just avoid it. What this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things as they are because we are afraid of the trouble of doing something about them, but the active facing of things ~~ the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle (i.e. the Civil Rights Movement; women’s equality and the right to vote). We might say that the most important work of the peacemaker is the constant practice of the presence of God. This is what peacemakers are doing in many parts of our world where there is conflict ~~ they are practicing the presence of God and showing by example ways to resolve conflict.
Jewish Rabbis considered that the highest task one could perform was to establish right relationships, with God and one person with another. Eugene Peterson’s translation of this passage says it well: “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”
In our upside-down world, being a peacemaker goes against a culture that gives more value to “getting what is due me” than learning how to live in peace with each other.
Your reward for being a peacemaker is that God acknowledges you as one of God’s children, being at one in spirit with our Creator. God counts you as one of the Family, and honors you with joy and warmth as a peacemaker.
What role will you fulfill as a member of God’s Family?
Who represents the role of a peacemaker to you? Why? What are their characteristics? What can you learn from their lifestyle?
Watch the film, “Invictus,” the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (prisoner for 30 years and then elected President of South Africa) joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team to help unite their country, divided racially and economically in the wake of apartheid.
Identify ways in which Mandela demonstrates the life of a peacemaker.
Meditate on the words to the following hymn, and let it become your mantra:
“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me; let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God our creator, children all are we. Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow; to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”
And God will bless your life!
Have you ever considered yourself to be a “peacemaker?” Do you listen to both sides of a situation and help negotiate an acceptable and peaceful outcome? Think about your role in your family ~~ are you the family comic? the family agitator? the family leader? or the family peacemaker? What role do you take on in YOUR family? in your living arrangement at school? on your job? in your social circles?
Jesus makes frequent reference to peace and peacemaking in his teachings in the New Testament. Remember that the angels hailed his birth by singing, “Peace on earth.” He said, “Love your enemies. . .do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you.” (Matt. 5:44) In John’s Gospel we read of Jesus’ last bequest for peace, “My peace I give unto you.” (John 14:27) Jesus Christ came as the Prince of Peace, teaching us to reconcile with God for peace within our own souls, as well as for peace with each other. The peace known in the Bible comes from trust, love and obedience toward God.
The Bible contains many stories of conflict, contention, and major avoidance among God’s people. Remember how the Jews hated and treated the Samaritans? In every age nations have been at odds, homes and businesses have been torn apart by strife, and our individual lives and souls have become alienated from God. Our history books are full of the details of conflicts and wars, not just from the past, but right up to the present day. Conflicts and alienation continue even in what we refer to as “The Holy Land.” Signs of “Pray for Peace” appear on every tour bus and in many shop windows. And yet negotiations between the Palestinians and the Jews remain at a standstill.
But, you may ask, what does this have to do with ME?
Some scholars of the early Church took this beatitude in a purely spiritual sense, and thought that it meant, “Blessed is the one who makes peace in his/her own heart and soul. . . .”
How and when have you experienced the kind of inner peace that Jesus’ teachings refer to??
What are you willing to do to maintain that kind of inner peace in practicing the presence of God? What strategies do you use to deal with the struggle in your own life between good and evil.
We can look at the multitude of decisions we are called to make every day. . .did we make good choices? Or did we take out our inner anger on our roommates, classmates, professors, parents?? Consider “The Law of the Garbage Truck!”
One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"
This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so....Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! Have a garbage-free day!
Being in a right relationship with God allows all of us to live every day as a garbage-free day! Peacemakers—makers of peace—are few, primarily because it is so much easier to fan the flames of past hurts and prejudices, and to keep the arguments going. Jesus made peace. (Eph. 2:14-18), and calls each of us to become peacemakers. As our inner peace and relationship with God grows, our ability to be about the work of peace becomes easier.
Making peace, though, is NO easy task! When we see something that needs to be done we can’t just avoid it. What this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things as they are because we are afraid of the trouble of doing something about them, but the active facing of things ~~ the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle (i.e. the Civil Rights Movement; women’s equality and the right to vote). We might say that the most important work of the peacemaker is the constant practice of the presence of God. This is what peacemakers are doing in many parts of our world where there is conflict ~~ they are practicing the presence of God and showing by example ways to resolve conflict.
Jewish Rabbis considered that the highest task one could perform was to establish right relationships, with God and one person with another. Eugene Peterson’s translation of this passage says it well: “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”
In our upside-down world, being a peacemaker goes against a culture that gives more value to “getting what is due me” than learning how to live in peace with each other.
Your reward for being a peacemaker is that God acknowledges you as one of God’s children, being at one in spirit with our Creator. God counts you as one of the Family, and honors you with joy and warmth as a peacemaker.
What role will you fulfill as a member of God’s Family?
Who represents the role of a peacemaker to you? Why? What are their characteristics? What can you learn from their lifestyle?
Watch the film, “Invictus,” the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (prisoner for 30 years and then elected President of South Africa) joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team to help unite their country, divided racially and economically in the wake of apartheid.
Identify ways in which Mandela demonstrates the life of a peacemaker.
Meditate on the words to the following hymn, and let it become your mantra:
“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me; let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God our creator, children all are we. Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow; to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”
And God will bless your life!
Love The Lord Your God by Nathan Heinritz
On a Thursday night, my friend and I were going through the new release movies at the Red Box in Wal-mart. As we intently looked at the movie selection, we exchanged comments like, “That ones good….seen it like 10 times….that one’s hilarious....too inappropriate. As I glanced away from disinterest a red sign happened to catch my eye, which read Avatar, coming soon! I immediately responded to my friend, “I LOVE that movie.” How often have you heard a friend use the word, “LOVE” to describe anything and everything? A friend the other day told me that he LOVED God and in the same few sentences said that he LOVE tacos and LOVED his new car. This doesn’t make sense that as Americans we LOVE everything and anything. Where do you draw the line? What can we love and what should we like? What does the Bible say? The Bible says in the book of Matthew to store up treasures in heaven and not of this earth (Matt. 6:19-21). Since love is such a powerful word, the real question is what are treasures of heavenly value? The relationships you build with God and with other people is the only thing that will have heavenly value. “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love you neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4
Blessed Are The Pure In Heart by Don Sorenson
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God
Skeptics say if there is a God, show Him to me. On the other hand, Christians know that there is a God and stand in awe of Him. But still, Christians long to see God. Moses asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18). God replied that no one could see His face and live, but He allowed Moses to see his back after He had passed by. Do we conclude then that it impossible to see God? No, the Bible has more to say about that.
John the evangelist tells us that no one has ever seen God, but that God the Son has made Him known (John 1:18). John also tells how Jesus explained to Nicodemus that while we can’t see the wind, yet we see its effects and hear its sound. God is like that. By faith we see things that God has created, things He sustains, and things that God has brought about in response to prayer (John 3:8).
This beatitude tells us that we see God when we are pure in heart. My experience confirms this truth. I’ve seen how the unbeliever’s heart, stained with sin, doesn’t see God. They hear of God, and are occasionally brought close to God by the power of His Spirit, but until they accept the fact that Christ is God and that Christ makes God known to them, they never really see God. It was true for me. Since I’ve been a believer I see God in the work of Christians serving in His name. Unbelievers might think that Christians are just do-gooders who are either driven by some set of church rules, or who get a personal kick out of being better than others. I see the work of Christians as the work of God, and I see God in these people.
Of course, seeing God in other Christians is not the same as seeing Him face-to-face (like Moses wanted). The Bible teaches that someday we will see God face-to-face. For those whose names are not written in the lamb’s book of life it will be a terrible thing, but for those washed pure by the blood of the lamb it will be a glorious experience. At that time God will give us a new heaven and a new earth. We will “see His face” (Revelation 22:4). Nothing impure or false will be there. We will all be pure in heart.
How does it happen? How do we become pure in heart? We need to take on God’s character. We express reverence for God in our worship, but we demonstrate our faith by our efforts to be like Him. Foremost in this must be purity of our motives. God forgives our sins and our failures in actions we take; He rewards our actions arising from pure motives. Secondly, we must ourselves take on the character traits of God. These include: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22). They also include holiness, humility, compassion, forbearance, contentment, thankfulness, considerateness, sincerity, and perseverance. Our task is before us—take on the character of God. Our proper motive—that we will see God!
Questions to think about:
1) Are God’s standards too high? Can’t we set the bar a little lower?
2) Where do we get the power to do all that God has called us to do?
3) What will it be like to see God face-to-face someday?
Skeptics say if there is a God, show Him to me. On the other hand, Christians know that there is a God and stand in awe of Him. But still, Christians long to see God. Moses asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18). God replied that no one could see His face and live, but He allowed Moses to see his back after He had passed by. Do we conclude then that it impossible to see God? No, the Bible has more to say about that.
John the evangelist tells us that no one has ever seen God, but that God the Son has made Him known (John 1:18). John also tells how Jesus explained to Nicodemus that while we can’t see the wind, yet we see its effects and hear its sound. God is like that. By faith we see things that God has created, things He sustains, and things that God has brought about in response to prayer (John 3:8).
This beatitude tells us that we see God when we are pure in heart. My experience confirms this truth. I’ve seen how the unbeliever’s heart, stained with sin, doesn’t see God. They hear of God, and are occasionally brought close to God by the power of His Spirit, but until they accept the fact that Christ is God and that Christ makes God known to them, they never really see God. It was true for me. Since I’ve been a believer I see God in the work of Christians serving in His name. Unbelievers might think that Christians are just do-gooders who are either driven by some set of church rules, or who get a personal kick out of being better than others. I see the work of Christians as the work of God, and I see God in these people.
Of course, seeing God in other Christians is not the same as seeing Him face-to-face (like Moses wanted). The Bible teaches that someday we will see God face-to-face. For those whose names are not written in the lamb’s book of life it will be a terrible thing, but for those washed pure by the blood of the lamb it will be a glorious experience. At that time God will give us a new heaven and a new earth. We will “see His face” (Revelation 22:4). Nothing impure or false will be there. We will all be pure in heart.
How does it happen? How do we become pure in heart? We need to take on God’s character. We express reverence for God in our worship, but we demonstrate our faith by our efforts to be like Him. Foremost in this must be purity of our motives. God forgives our sins and our failures in actions we take; He rewards our actions arising from pure motives. Secondly, we must ourselves take on the character traits of God. These include: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22). They also include holiness, humility, compassion, forbearance, contentment, thankfulness, considerateness, sincerity, and perseverance. Our task is before us—take on the character of God. Our proper motive—that we will see God!
Questions to think about:
1) Are God’s standards too high? Can’t we set the bar a little lower?
2) Where do we get the power to do all that God has called us to do?
3) What will it be like to see God face-to-face someday?
No Greater Love by Paul Dawson
John 15:13 (KJV) – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The book Blackjack-34, previously titled No Greater Love: A Day with the Mobile Guerrilla Force in Vietnam, tells the story of July 18, 1967 with the men of the only real American guerrilla force in Vietnam. Told from the perspective of Special Forces Medic James C. Donahue, this book paints a picture of what has been considered to be one of the worst wars ever fought. On that day, his platoon was on a special mission, code-named Blackjack-34, to find enemy units for the 1st Infantry to destroy. However, their platoon was found by enemy forces first. Donahue bore witness to the determination of his teammates, who were willing to go so far as to give their own lives so the others could live.
This willingness to give up one’s own life is what Christ was referring to in this verse. This willingness comes from God's unconditional love for the human race. John 3:16a says, "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son." It's because of His love for us that Jesus came to this world. I really like the King James Version of this verse because it conveys the idea that Jesus was not just human, but a man. Christ is the ultimate example of a man. In Max Lucado’s book God Came Near, he writes, “Only in seeing his Maker does a man truly become man. For in seeing his Creator man catches a glimpse of what he was intended to be. He who would see his God would then see the reason for death and the purpose of time.” Were it not for Christ's death on the cross, humanity would be unable to receive the gift of salvation and spend eternity with God. There truly is no greater love than that.
The book Blackjack-34, previously titled No Greater Love: A Day with the Mobile Guerrilla Force in Vietnam, tells the story of July 18, 1967 with the men of the only real American guerrilla force in Vietnam. Told from the perspective of Special Forces Medic James C. Donahue, this book paints a picture of what has been considered to be one of the worst wars ever fought. On that day, his platoon was on a special mission, code-named Blackjack-34, to find enemy units for the 1st Infantry to destroy. However, their platoon was found by enemy forces first. Donahue bore witness to the determination of his teammates, who were willing to go so far as to give their own lives so the others could live.
This willingness to give up one’s own life is what Christ was referring to in this verse. This willingness comes from God's unconditional love for the human race. John 3:16a says, "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son." It's because of His love for us that Jesus came to this world. I really like the King James Version of this verse because it conveys the idea that Jesus was not just human, but a man. Christ is the ultimate example of a man. In Max Lucado’s book God Came Near, he writes, “Only in seeing his Maker does a man truly become man. For in seeing his Creator man catches a glimpse of what he was intended to be. He who would see his God would then see the reason for death and the purpose of time.” Were it not for Christ's death on the cross, humanity would be unable to receive the gift of salvation and spend eternity with God. There truly is no greater love than that.
Being to Busy by Jenny Seegers
About 6 in 10 Christians say that it's "often" or "always" true that "the busyness of life gets in the way of developing my relationship with God." Christians most likely to agree were from North America, Africa and Europe. By country, Christians in South Africa, Nigeria, Canada, Singapore, Ireland, Philippines, the United States, and the United Kingdom, are more distracted from God, respectively, than those in other countries.
Scripture:
Isaiah 32:6
For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water.
Isaiah 32:6 talks about being too busy to hear the Lords word that we are abandoning our faith, and those who we can serve through faith: “the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water.”
Over the last month, I’ve felt extremely overwhelmed with classes, work, relationships, etc. We all can relate. However, after reading this verse, I realized that I’ve been so busy, that I am putting the most important thing last: becoming so preoccupied that I am missing the opportunities that God has presented for me. There are opportunities out there for all of us to experience, but often enough, we miss them because we are too busy. I feel that if we just take a moment or two to reflect on what the Lord is trying to tell us, all of the other things will fall in place. It is human nature that we pre-occupy ourselves, to try to fulfill our lives; however, if we don’t reflect on what God is trying to tell us, we may be filling our lives with useless things. I encourage you to stop and look for the moments God may be presenting to you, or you may just be missing out what is really important in life.
Scripture:
Isaiah 32:6
For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water.
Isaiah 32:6 talks about being too busy to hear the Lords word that we are abandoning our faith, and those who we can serve through faith: “the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water.”
Over the last month, I’ve felt extremely overwhelmed with classes, work, relationships, etc. We all can relate. However, after reading this verse, I realized that I’ve been so busy, that I am putting the most important thing last: becoming so preoccupied that I am missing the opportunities that God has presented for me. There are opportunities out there for all of us to experience, but often enough, we miss them because we are too busy. I feel that if we just take a moment or two to reflect on what the Lord is trying to tell us, all of the other things will fall in place. It is human nature that we pre-occupy ourselves, to try to fulfill our lives; however, if we don’t reflect on what God is trying to tell us, we may be filling our lives with useless things. I encourage you to stop and look for the moments God may be presenting to you, or you may just be missing out what is really important in life.
Friday, April 9, 2010
God's Work by Samantha Ruehl
Ephesians 2:10
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
According to Ephesians 2:10, when God created us He prepared opportunities for us to do good works. Since these opportunities have already been prepared for us, all we have to do is keep our eyes open and listen for God’s voice and when we hear it, respond. Although God has planned these opportunities for us we still have a choice because of our free will. If we hear God’s voice or God is laying something on our hearts we must choose to act on it. It is so easy to miss out on these opportunities. I just missed out on one of these opportunities on one of the most important days of the year, Jesus’ Resurrection.
While I was getting ready to go to my grandma’s house for Easter dinner I felt the Lord telling me to ask my family if I could say a prayer at dinner. I didn’t grow up in a Christian family, so this would have been the first time anyone has ever lead the family in a prayer. If you think about it, it’s pretty crazy that God would want me to do this on the day that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to prove that He is indeed the One True God.
After God told me He wanted me to do this I responded to Him by saying, “Lord I will try my best to do what You asked of me, if You will provide Me with the perfect moment to do this.” I was thinking to myself that if God provided the perfect opportunity maybe I could do it, while at the same time leaving a way out by saying, “I will try my best.” I was scared because I knew my grandma doesn’t believe and she can be one tough scary lady, and I also have deaf people in my family that I wouldn’t want to feel left out. Anyways, our ever-so-faithful God provided me with the perfect opportunity that my ever-so-unfaithful self missed out on.
There are usually about 12 people that come to dinner at my grandma’s house on holidays, so we can’t all fit around one table, well this time there was only 8. We all fit around the table perfectly and when everyone got their food and began eating it was silent for a couple minutes. I knew this was the perfect opportunity but got scared because I knew it would’ve required me to leave my comfort zone. I missed the perfect opportunity, which I now regret.
Sitting here writing about it today makes me feel horrible for not following through. I could have possibly planted a seed in my family’s hearts, and now I will never know. I also missed out on a good work that the Lord had prepared for me and it doesn’t feel good. I encourage you to keep your eyes out for these good works that the Lord has prepared in advance, and to listen to what God asks of You because if He planned it You know it is for a good purpose.
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
According to Ephesians 2:10, when God created us He prepared opportunities for us to do good works. Since these opportunities have already been prepared for us, all we have to do is keep our eyes open and listen for God’s voice and when we hear it, respond. Although God has planned these opportunities for us we still have a choice because of our free will. If we hear God’s voice or God is laying something on our hearts we must choose to act on it. It is so easy to miss out on these opportunities. I just missed out on one of these opportunities on one of the most important days of the year, Jesus’ Resurrection.
While I was getting ready to go to my grandma’s house for Easter dinner I felt the Lord telling me to ask my family if I could say a prayer at dinner. I didn’t grow up in a Christian family, so this would have been the first time anyone has ever lead the family in a prayer. If you think about it, it’s pretty crazy that God would want me to do this on the day that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to prove that He is indeed the One True God.
After God told me He wanted me to do this I responded to Him by saying, “Lord I will try my best to do what You asked of me, if You will provide Me with the perfect moment to do this.” I was thinking to myself that if God provided the perfect opportunity maybe I could do it, while at the same time leaving a way out by saying, “I will try my best.” I was scared because I knew my grandma doesn’t believe and she can be one tough scary lady, and I also have deaf people in my family that I wouldn’t want to feel left out. Anyways, our ever-so-faithful God provided me with the perfect opportunity that my ever-so-unfaithful self missed out on.
There are usually about 12 people that come to dinner at my grandma’s house on holidays, so we can’t all fit around one table, well this time there was only 8. We all fit around the table perfectly and when everyone got their food and began eating it was silent for a couple minutes. I knew this was the perfect opportunity but got scared because I knew it would’ve required me to leave my comfort zone. I missed the perfect opportunity, which I now regret.
Sitting here writing about it today makes me feel horrible for not following through. I could have possibly planted a seed in my family’s hearts, and now I will never know. I also missed out on a good work that the Lord had prepared for me and it doesn’t feel good. I encourage you to keep your eyes out for these good works that the Lord has prepared in advance, and to listen to what God asks of You because if He planned it You know it is for a good purpose.
Beattitudes- Blessed Are The Merciful by Ceci Sobolewski
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
By Ceci Sobolewski
I am writing this study during Holy Week.
I am writing to you, from the eyes of a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, daugher-in-law, sister-in law, co-worker in the kitchen of Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital etc. (lest I leave any out) and sister in Christ. The role I hold dearest is the role of "Sister in Christ", which reigns over all my other roles. The world might not look at any of my roles in life as much, but the one of "Sister in Christ", certainly would not be looked upon as the important one, if looked upon at all. An upside down world. Much has been coming at me again lately, in my many roles in life, and I have had to fully lean on the one of "Sister in Christ" to a degree of "testing, or trial". I need to count this testing all joy, as James says in Chapter 1:2. Sometimes, it doesn't feel so good to be going through this testing, or trial. I know it leads to patience, and that I need to let patience have its perfect work, that I might be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4). Mercy needs to be extended to others.
I also remember today, just before Good Friday, how Jesus could have walked away from the cross, (What testing, when He knew He wouldn't have to be there with such power at His command) leaving us standing seperated from Him and our Father and The Holy Spirit. But instead, He extended His mercy to us. Mercy brings us together. Forgiveness brings us together. "Forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Words of Jesus from the cross. Words that brought us life.
Jesus also said much about forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Wait a minute, " as we forgive our debtors ". I say those words very well. Does it always sink into my heart though? This is another teaching about mercy: forgiveness. But I must go there, to Calvary, to the Cross, to pain, to forgive, to extend mercy. Mercy is expected from God, to the point if we are not merciful, we will not be shown mercy! It says that right after the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:14 &15. Jesus said that, and still says that today. Mercy must be extremely important, if this is what Jesus says right after the words of the Lord's Prayer! He didn't key in on anything else immediately following the Lord's Prayer, just this about extending mercy.
We are also told of the story of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18: 21-35. Again, some powerful words about mercy. You might want to look this up in your bible. Or go to www.biblegateway.com or www.blueletterbible.com.
If we do not forgive a parent, sister, brother, co-worker, or anyone else, of a sin against us, (and there are some pretty awful things to be listed in the arena of sin) we will not be forgiven, and will not be released from the power of sin in our lives. Mercy is an upside down thing in this world's view, but a necessary thing to give, to live as believers in Christ. Holy Week is a huge reminder of this Jesus who loved and loves us so much, He took the penalty for our sin, became sin, took it away, and the power of it over us. He replaced it with His power of LOVE. A complete act of Mercy! Will you and I do the same, to show mercy, to love as Christ loved and loves us?
I really like my Noah Webster dictionary, and was going to type up many of the 9 definitions for mercy. However, the only one I am going to is this one: Eternal life, the fruit of mercy.
Need I say more?
My friends, I was led to keep my writing short and, "to the point" this time. So, I will leave my words here. The only other thing I will do is to ask a few questions:
1. Who do you and I need to forgive? Who has been causing me pain, that I need to be merciful to?
2. Can I be truly be merciful to someone whithout God's help to do so?
3. Do I know Christ as my Savior, having asked for His forgiveness and mercy, so I can extend it to others?
An Easter joyful cry: He has risen indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Ceci Sobolewski
I am writing this study during Holy Week.
I am writing to you, from the eyes of a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, daugher-in-law, sister-in law, co-worker in the kitchen of Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital etc. (lest I leave any out) and sister in Christ. The role I hold dearest is the role of "Sister in Christ", which reigns over all my other roles. The world might not look at any of my roles in life as much, but the one of "Sister in Christ", certainly would not be looked upon as the important one, if looked upon at all. An upside down world. Much has been coming at me again lately, in my many roles in life, and I have had to fully lean on the one of "Sister in Christ" to a degree of "testing, or trial". I need to count this testing all joy, as James says in Chapter 1:2. Sometimes, it doesn't feel so good to be going through this testing, or trial. I know it leads to patience, and that I need to let patience have its perfect work, that I might be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4). Mercy needs to be extended to others.
I also remember today, just before Good Friday, how Jesus could have walked away from the cross, (What testing, when He knew He wouldn't have to be there with such power at His command) leaving us standing seperated from Him and our Father and The Holy Spirit. But instead, He extended His mercy to us. Mercy brings us together. Forgiveness brings us together. "Forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Words of Jesus from the cross. Words that brought us life.
Jesus also said much about forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Wait a minute, " as we forgive our debtors ". I say those words very well. Does it always sink into my heart though? This is another teaching about mercy: forgiveness. But I must go there, to Calvary, to the Cross, to pain, to forgive, to extend mercy. Mercy is expected from God, to the point if we are not merciful, we will not be shown mercy! It says that right after the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:14 &15. Jesus said that, and still says that today. Mercy must be extremely important, if this is what Jesus says right after the words of the Lord's Prayer! He didn't key in on anything else immediately following the Lord's Prayer, just this about extending mercy.
We are also told of the story of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18: 21-35. Again, some powerful words about mercy. You might want to look this up in your bible. Or go to www.biblegateway.com or www.blueletterbible.com.
If we do not forgive a parent, sister, brother, co-worker, or anyone else, of a sin against us, (and there are some pretty awful things to be listed in the arena of sin) we will not be forgiven, and will not be released from the power of sin in our lives. Mercy is an upside down thing in this world's view, but a necessary thing to give, to live as believers in Christ. Holy Week is a huge reminder of this Jesus who loved and loves us so much, He took the penalty for our sin, became sin, took it away, and the power of it over us. He replaced it with His power of LOVE. A complete act of Mercy! Will you and I do the same, to show mercy, to love as Christ loved and loves us?
I really like my Noah Webster dictionary, and was going to type up many of the 9 definitions for mercy. However, the only one I am going to is this one: Eternal life, the fruit of mercy.
Need I say more?
My friends, I was led to keep my writing short and, "to the point" this time. So, I will leave my words here. The only other thing I will do is to ask a few questions:
1. Who do you and I need to forgive? Who has been causing me pain, that I need to be merciful to?
2. Can I be truly be merciful to someone whithout God's help to do so?
3. Do I know Christ as my Savior, having asked for His forgiveness and mercy, so I can extend it to others?
An Easter joyful cry: He has risen indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Beattitudes- Blessed Are Those Who Hunger And Thrist For Righteouness by Anne Gibson
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. –Matthew 5:6
Well, here we are! Week five of our e-study! Week five of seeking for “the bottom of the boat” as Pastor David described in the Beatitudes’ introduction. Today we look at righteousness, a word not used so much in daily context, but a word that as Christians, I suspect many of us would use to define the kind of life we aspire to live. I mean, who doesn’t want to live a just, right, life? Who doesn’t want to be a good person in the world, doing good things?
I knew I’d be writing this study five weeks ago. Since that time, I’ve been praying about what to say. My “righteousness radar” has been up…And I’ve truly been amazed at how often it shows up in Scripture. Multiple times a week, I found myself focused on it. And, you know what? Hungering and thirsting for righteousness has nothing to do with being a good person!!!
Let’s find out why!
Hunger—A strong desire or need for food. The discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by prolonged lack of food. A strong desire or craving.
Thirst--A sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat related to a need or desire to drink. The desire to drink. An insistent desire; a craving: a thirst for knowledge. To have a strong craving; yearn. (www.answers.com)
I suppose you knew what those words meant, didn’t you? At least, I assume you’ve experienced them—Probably not to the extent that many people in the world do, but perhaps you’ve had that time when you were running so fast from one thing to another all day that it wasn’t until late at night that you discovered you hadn’t eaten all day and were famished? Maybe you were intentionally fasting. Maybe you were on a restricted diet for a period of time. Maybe you were in the hospital and they restricted your liquids. Or hiking in the heat of the desert or summer and had no water left. We do know, to an extent, about hunger and thirst. Take a moment to think about your experiences for each craving.
What are some things that we crave beyond food and water? Acceptance, love, money, cars, homes, certain friendships, new products, belonging….The list could go on for miles! As humans, we desire a lot of stuff! We tend to crave everything we don’t have, and then some. Commercials tell us to satisfy our cravings with whatever product or line of thought they are peddling—And we often cave to them. Getting an upgraded cell phone plan can’t be that bad—I mean, accessing the Internet on the road will save me time!
Here’s something that I heard in a sermon by Pete Briscoe—He was reading David’s Psalm 63:1—“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. “ Someone had asked him why we don’t seem to have that same longing, hunger, and thirst for the Lord today. Pete’s answer: People are thirstier and hungrier than ever—But they are misguided. Our culture tells us there are many water fountains to drink from—Many things that will bring us pleasure and relief. We are told that there is more than just Jesus that can quench our thirst, so drink, enjoy—Whatever satisfies you for right now is good. We get distracted by things that don’t really satisfy and miss the One true fountain: Jesus Christ. We all have a God-sized hole in our hearts—What—Who, rather—Will fill that void?
He couldn’t be more correct. When was the last time you actually desired—No, craved the Lord? Not something from Him, but the Lord God Himself???
Francis Chan, in his book “Crazy Love” (An incredible, but challenging book that I highly recommend!) gives us some food for thought. He asks, “Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words, half-hearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better? Has your relationship with God changed the way you live? Do you see evidence of God’s kingdom in your life? Are you satisfied with being “godly enough” to get yourself to heaven, or to look good in comparison to others?
He then proceeds to look at Revelation 3:15: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth!” Yikes!
Chan spends the entire rest of the chapter profiling a lukewarm person, based on what Scripture says. I pulled out a few of the haunting examples.
Lukewarm people…
…Are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones.
…Say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives.
…Think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation.
…Do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.
…Probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
Ouch! Did any of those hurt? Chan is giving us an “in your face” reminder that we are to be upside-down Christians.--Radicals who truly hunger and thirst for the Lord—Who are submitted to Him—And whose lives bear the fruits of that eternal relationship!
So—We know about hunger and thirst—But what about “righteousness”?
Let’s go back to Psalm 62:1 again…For David was one of the blessed spoken of in Jesus’ beatitudes. He hungered and thirsted for God—Who IS righteousness.
I found 239 entries listed for “righteousness” in Scripture in the Strong’s concordance! Perhaps that’s why I kept hearing about it the past five weeks—In any case, it’s repeated enough that we should see it’s a rather important word!
Righteousness –holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standard. It comes from a root word that means “straightness”. God’s character is the definition and source of all righteousness…Therefore, man’s righteousness is defined in terms of God’s.
(Source: Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
Take a look at Deuteronomy 32:4--4 He [the Lord] is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!
Psalm 36:6—“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.”
Isaiah 5:16—“But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.”
When we are seeking righteousness, we are essentially seeking God, and the things of God!
Matthew 6:33—“But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
So—Do you see that seeking righteousness is so much more than being a good person (by the way, there is no such thing according to Romans 5:12) and merely doing good things (often set by our own lowly standard!) in this world?
If we are truly hungering and thirsting for righteousness, we realize that we cannot effectively serve two masters (things of earth and God). We toss our agendas and measurements of right living and accept God’s “straightness standard”. We accept that we must die to our sinful nature through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:2-4). We realize that on our own we are imperfect and utterly unrighteous people, and yearn for the gift of grace, forgiveness, and righteousness that our perfect God gives us through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:18). Something within us changes…And, as we live out our new lives in Christ, we crave time with the Lord daily, in prayer, and in His Word. We hunger to put His Word into action, and to bear His fruit in the world—Not our own!
We long to be the mirror that effectively reflects God’s perfect love and grace to the world around us. We are defined by God’s righteous standards of living; not the worlds. We seek out examples of righteous living in Scripture and seek to emulate them (check out James 2:23, James 3:18, Hebrews 11:7). We are not lukewarm, and we see that filling that void in our lives with anything other than Christ will actually leave us empty, hungry and thirsty for something more.
No wonder people that live like this are blessed!
--Will you join me in hungering and thirsting for God’s righteousness alone?
Questions to ponder:
· What are some things that you crave? Write them down…Lift them up to the Lord, one by one.
· Did any of Francis Chan’s definitions of lukewarm people convict you? Ask yourself why…and spend some time in prayer about it. If you haven’t fully submitted yourself to Christ—This may be the time to re-commit your life to Him.
· Read through some of the Psalms that talk of God’s righteousness—As you read them, lift them up as prayers to the Lord.
Psalm 23:3; Psalm 33:5; Psalm 35:28; Psalm 36:6; Psalm 65:5; Psalm 71:2, 15-16
· Look up some of those men and women whose lives were considered righteous. How can they be examples for you?
James 2:23 (Abraham)--
James 3:18 (peacemakers)--
Hebrews 11:7 (Noah)--
Well, here we are! Week five of our e-study! Week five of seeking for “the bottom of the boat” as Pastor David described in the Beatitudes’ introduction. Today we look at righteousness, a word not used so much in daily context, but a word that as Christians, I suspect many of us would use to define the kind of life we aspire to live. I mean, who doesn’t want to live a just, right, life? Who doesn’t want to be a good person in the world, doing good things?
I knew I’d be writing this study five weeks ago. Since that time, I’ve been praying about what to say. My “righteousness radar” has been up…And I’ve truly been amazed at how often it shows up in Scripture. Multiple times a week, I found myself focused on it. And, you know what? Hungering and thirsting for righteousness has nothing to do with being a good person!!!
Let’s find out why!
Hunger—A strong desire or need for food. The discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by prolonged lack of food. A strong desire or craving.
Thirst--A sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat related to a need or desire to drink. The desire to drink. An insistent desire; a craving: a thirst for knowledge. To have a strong craving; yearn. (www.answers.com)
I suppose you knew what those words meant, didn’t you? At least, I assume you’ve experienced them—Probably not to the extent that many people in the world do, but perhaps you’ve had that time when you were running so fast from one thing to another all day that it wasn’t until late at night that you discovered you hadn’t eaten all day and were famished? Maybe you were intentionally fasting. Maybe you were on a restricted diet for a period of time. Maybe you were in the hospital and they restricted your liquids. Or hiking in the heat of the desert or summer and had no water left. We do know, to an extent, about hunger and thirst. Take a moment to think about your experiences for each craving.
What are some things that we crave beyond food and water? Acceptance, love, money, cars, homes, certain friendships, new products, belonging….The list could go on for miles! As humans, we desire a lot of stuff! We tend to crave everything we don’t have, and then some. Commercials tell us to satisfy our cravings with whatever product or line of thought they are peddling—And we often cave to them. Getting an upgraded cell phone plan can’t be that bad—I mean, accessing the Internet on the road will save me time!
Here’s something that I heard in a sermon by Pete Briscoe—He was reading David’s Psalm 63:1—“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. “ Someone had asked him why we don’t seem to have that same longing, hunger, and thirst for the Lord today. Pete’s answer: People are thirstier and hungrier than ever—But they are misguided. Our culture tells us there are many water fountains to drink from—Many things that will bring us pleasure and relief. We are told that there is more than just Jesus that can quench our thirst, so drink, enjoy—Whatever satisfies you for right now is good. We get distracted by things that don’t really satisfy and miss the One true fountain: Jesus Christ. We all have a God-sized hole in our hearts—What—Who, rather—Will fill that void?
He couldn’t be more correct. When was the last time you actually desired—No, craved the Lord? Not something from Him, but the Lord God Himself???
Francis Chan, in his book “Crazy Love” (An incredible, but challenging book that I highly recommend!) gives us some food for thought. He asks, “Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words, half-hearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better? Has your relationship with God changed the way you live? Do you see evidence of God’s kingdom in your life? Are you satisfied with being “godly enough” to get yourself to heaven, or to look good in comparison to others?
He then proceeds to look at Revelation 3:15: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth!” Yikes!
Chan spends the entire rest of the chapter profiling a lukewarm person, based on what Scripture says. I pulled out a few of the haunting examples.
Lukewarm people…
…Are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones.
…Say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives.
…Think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation.
…Do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.
…Probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
Ouch! Did any of those hurt? Chan is giving us an “in your face” reminder that we are to be upside-down Christians.--Radicals who truly hunger and thirst for the Lord—Who are submitted to Him—And whose lives bear the fruits of that eternal relationship!
So—We know about hunger and thirst—But what about “righteousness”?
Let’s go back to Psalm 62:1 again…For David was one of the blessed spoken of in Jesus’ beatitudes. He hungered and thirsted for God—Who IS righteousness.
I found 239 entries listed for “righteousness” in Scripture in the Strong’s concordance! Perhaps that’s why I kept hearing about it the past five weeks—In any case, it’s repeated enough that we should see it’s a rather important word!
Righteousness –holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standard. It comes from a root word that means “straightness”. God’s character is the definition and source of all righteousness…Therefore, man’s righteousness is defined in terms of God’s.
(Source: Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
Take a look at Deuteronomy 32:4--4 He [the Lord] is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!
Psalm 36:6—“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.”
Isaiah 5:16—“But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.”
When we are seeking righteousness, we are essentially seeking God, and the things of God!
Matthew 6:33—“But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
So—Do you see that seeking righteousness is so much more than being a good person (by the way, there is no such thing according to Romans 5:12) and merely doing good things (often set by our own lowly standard!) in this world?
If we are truly hungering and thirsting for righteousness, we realize that we cannot effectively serve two masters (things of earth and God). We toss our agendas and measurements of right living and accept God’s “straightness standard”. We accept that we must die to our sinful nature through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:2-4). We realize that on our own we are imperfect and utterly unrighteous people, and yearn for the gift of grace, forgiveness, and righteousness that our perfect God gives us through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:18). Something within us changes…And, as we live out our new lives in Christ, we crave time with the Lord daily, in prayer, and in His Word. We hunger to put His Word into action, and to bear His fruit in the world—Not our own!
We long to be the mirror that effectively reflects God’s perfect love and grace to the world around us. We are defined by God’s righteous standards of living; not the worlds. We seek out examples of righteous living in Scripture and seek to emulate them (check out James 2:23, James 3:18, Hebrews 11:7). We are not lukewarm, and we see that filling that void in our lives with anything other than Christ will actually leave us empty, hungry and thirsty for something more.
No wonder people that live like this are blessed!
--Will you join me in hungering and thirsting for God’s righteousness alone?
Questions to ponder:
· What are some things that you crave? Write them down…Lift them up to the Lord, one by one.
· Did any of Francis Chan’s definitions of lukewarm people convict you? Ask yourself why…and spend some time in prayer about it. If you haven’t fully submitted yourself to Christ—This may be the time to re-commit your life to Him.
· Read through some of the Psalms that talk of God’s righteousness—As you read them, lift them up as prayers to the Lord.
Psalm 23:3; Psalm 33:5; Psalm 35:28; Psalm 36:6; Psalm 65:5; Psalm 71:2, 15-16
· Look up some of those men and women whose lives were considered righteous. How can they be examples for you?
James 2:23 (Abraham)--
James 3:18 (peacemakers)--
Hebrews 11:7 (Noah)--
Beattitudes- Blessed Are The Meek by Chuck Taylor
Beatitudes of Jesus: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Ah, I can hear the reaction now, “Boy, did they give that one to the wrong guy!” Perhaps so. For more than thirty years, I was a Special Agent with the United States Treasury Department. Occasionally, we kicked down doors with guns in hand. Doesn’t sound like the best place to look for meek folks!
Also for more than thirty years, I’ve been a firefighter and emergency medical technician. I’ve been inside dozens of burning buildings and treated hundreds of sick and injured patients, some of them so ill or so grievously injured that they did not survive. That doesn’t seem much like a task for a meek guy, either.
At my age, it’s one-year-at-a-time, but last summer I played my 51st season of competitive softball. Over the past six decades, I’ve competed in softball, soccer, football, racquetball, volleyball, and nearly every other sport that has winners and losers. If you were to ask those I’ve played with or against, I’m afraid they’d all say much the same things: He plays to win! He’d thump a little old lady at bingo if he could find a way.
Obviously, there has been a mistake here. There has got to be someone better to explain what Jesus meant when He talked about the meek. If the meek will inherit the earth, this guy’s not even going to get a garden plot. Absolutely! I’m certain that there are many who can better explain what Jesus had in mind. True to my “un-meek” nature, though, I’m going to give it a shot anyway.
Let’s think about Jesus himself. Are you familiar with the story of Jesus and the moneychangers at the temple in Jerusalem? (John 2:13-16) So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. Whips? Overturned tables? Scattered coins?
Or think of Peter, about whom Jesus said, “. . . on this rock will I build my church . . .” (Matthew 16:18) Think of Peter’s reaction when Jesus is arrested. (John 18:1-11) Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Sword? Cut off ear? Yeah, this Peter’s a really meek guy. No doubt about that! Perfect guy to head up the church!
The Bible is full of other examples – King David (among other things, he kills Goliath with a stone 1 Samuel 17), Paul (he is stripped and beaten, yet keeps on preaching Acts 16:22-43), and Mary (she undoubtedly endures great scorn and derision when she is found to be pregnant, but not married Matthew 1:18-25, yet she and Joseph don’t take the easy way out). Oddly, it seems that we find many of our great Biblical role models to be anything but meek. What do we make of all this? Did Jesus get it wrong? If we take these examples and set them beside what Jesus says about the meek inheriting the earth, it becomes clear that He simply cannot be talking about weak, Caspar Milquetoast-type individuals. So, what is He talking about?
Jesus is talking about the spirit, the soul. He is talking about a meekness before God. He is talking about meekness in our relationships with each other. He is talking about putting others before ourselves and God before all else. When Jesus explains to His disciples that He must suffer many things and be killed, Peter becomes upset. Peter takes Jesus aside and says in effect, “Lord, say it ain’t so!” And Jesus’ not-so-meek response to his friend Peter? "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Mark 8:31-38) Whoa!! To Jesus, nothing was more important than the will of God.
Jesus was not a meek man, but He was meek of spirit before God. He put God’s will before his own in all things. Even as Jesus faced death on a cross for our sins, not his own, He was able to pray, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:39-46) In his willingness to die for our sins, Jesus put our needs before his own and God’s will before all else. He asks no less of us.
So, perhaps there’s hope for me yet. I may have to adjust my attitude about the little old lady, but, still, in Jesus’ upside-down world, there’s hope. And there’s hope for you, too. Pray that you will put others before yourself. Pray that you will put God before all else. Pray for meekness.
Reflection
How will your daily relationships be different if you consistently put other’s needs before your own?
What will putting other’s needs (not necessarily their desires) before your own mean in day-to-day, real-life terms?
How will putting God before all else change what you do tomorrow? Next week? Next year?
How does a person who is “meek of spirit before God” differ from one who is not? Can you and I see that difference?
What part does prayer play in becoming “meek” – as Jesus used the word?
Ah, I can hear the reaction now, “Boy, did they give that one to the wrong guy!” Perhaps so. For more than thirty years, I was a Special Agent with the United States Treasury Department. Occasionally, we kicked down doors with guns in hand. Doesn’t sound like the best place to look for meek folks!
Also for more than thirty years, I’ve been a firefighter and emergency medical technician. I’ve been inside dozens of burning buildings and treated hundreds of sick and injured patients, some of them so ill or so grievously injured that they did not survive. That doesn’t seem much like a task for a meek guy, either.
At my age, it’s one-year-at-a-time, but last summer I played my 51st season of competitive softball. Over the past six decades, I’ve competed in softball, soccer, football, racquetball, volleyball, and nearly every other sport that has winners and losers. If you were to ask those I’ve played with or against, I’m afraid they’d all say much the same things: He plays to win! He’d thump a little old lady at bingo if he could find a way.
Obviously, there has been a mistake here. There has got to be someone better to explain what Jesus meant when He talked about the meek. If the meek will inherit the earth, this guy’s not even going to get a garden plot. Absolutely! I’m certain that there are many who can better explain what Jesus had in mind. True to my “un-meek” nature, though, I’m going to give it a shot anyway.
Let’s think about Jesus himself. Are you familiar with the story of Jesus and the moneychangers at the temple in Jerusalem? (John 2:13-16) So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. Whips? Overturned tables? Scattered coins?
Or think of Peter, about whom Jesus said, “. . . on this rock will I build my church . . .” (Matthew 16:18) Think of Peter’s reaction when Jesus is arrested. (John 18:1-11) Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Sword? Cut off ear? Yeah, this Peter’s a really meek guy. No doubt about that! Perfect guy to head up the church!
The Bible is full of other examples – King David (among other things, he kills Goliath with a stone 1 Samuel 17), Paul (he is stripped and beaten, yet keeps on preaching Acts 16:22-43), and Mary (she undoubtedly endures great scorn and derision when she is found to be pregnant, but not married Matthew 1:18-25, yet she and Joseph don’t take the easy way out). Oddly, it seems that we find many of our great Biblical role models to be anything but meek. What do we make of all this? Did Jesus get it wrong? If we take these examples and set them beside what Jesus says about the meek inheriting the earth, it becomes clear that He simply cannot be talking about weak, Caspar Milquetoast-type individuals. So, what is He talking about?
Jesus is talking about the spirit, the soul. He is talking about a meekness before God. He is talking about meekness in our relationships with each other. He is talking about putting others before ourselves and God before all else. When Jesus explains to His disciples that He must suffer many things and be killed, Peter becomes upset. Peter takes Jesus aside and says in effect, “Lord, say it ain’t so!” And Jesus’ not-so-meek response to his friend Peter? "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Mark 8:31-38) Whoa!! To Jesus, nothing was more important than the will of God.
Jesus was not a meek man, but He was meek of spirit before God. He put God’s will before his own in all things. Even as Jesus faced death on a cross for our sins, not his own, He was able to pray, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:39-46) In his willingness to die for our sins, Jesus put our needs before his own and God’s will before all else. He asks no less of us.
So, perhaps there’s hope for me yet. I may have to adjust my attitude about the little old lady, but, still, in Jesus’ upside-down world, there’s hope. And there’s hope for you, too. Pray that you will put others before yourself. Pray that you will put God before all else. Pray for meekness.
Reflection
How will your daily relationships be different if you consistently put other’s needs before your own?
What will putting other’s needs (not necessarily their desires) before your own mean in day-to-day, real-life terms?
How will putting God before all else change what you do tomorrow? Next week? Next year?
How does a person who is “meek of spirit before God” differ from one who is not? Can you and I see that difference?
What part does prayer play in becoming “meek” – as Jesus used the word?
Beattitudes- Blessed Are Those Who Mourn by Lynn Binnie
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
Wow -- if a special blessing being reserved for those who are poor in spirit seemed "upside down," the blessing of the second Beatitude seems even more unlikely. Who would ever choose to mourn? The Greek word that is translated "mourn" describes the most acute, intense kind of grief -- "to bewail or to lament." Mourning is often accompanied by crying, so it's of interest that the following appears in the version of the Beatitudes found in Luke (6:21): "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh."
We probably most often think of mourning as being a result of the death of a loved one, but there are many other life experiences that can reduce us to wailing -- flunking a test, being dumped by a girl/boyfriend, learning that our parents are getting divorced, discovering that we didn't get that perfect job, hearing that a close sibling got orders to ship out to Iraq for a third tour of duty.
There are many examples of this sort of meaning of "mourning" in the Scriptures, such as:
- Abraham mourned at his wife Sarah's death and wept over her. (Gen. 23:1-2)
- When Joseph was sold by his brothers, his father Jacob believed that he had been killed, causing Jacob to mourn for "many days." (Gen. 37:34-35)
- David lamented the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. (2 Samuel 1)
We even see Jesus mourning at the death of Lazarus, as recorded in John 11:35 - "Jesus wept." Since he would soon thereafter raise Lazarus from the dead, we have to assume that Jesus' grief was in the nature of empathy for Mary and Martha.
So is it from this deep emotional response to loss that Jesus is telling us we will be comforted? Certainly it seems to be one appropriate application of the Beatitude. As Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, we can trust God to meet us with empathy and comfort in times of loss. Does God have experience with anything similar to human grief? How about what happened when Jesus humbled Himself to be born as a human being? Though it was done out of sheer love, the incarnation came with an unfathomable cost. How about the crucifixion?
There are other possible understandings of the mourning that will be comforted. Most of us don't know anyone in Haiti or Chile, but we couldn't help but mourn for the people in those countries as we recently saw on television the unthinkable numbers of dead, wounded and homeless people. God's concern for poor and oppressed people, and for social justice, is highlighted in over 300 verses in Scripture. As we reach out to those people by turning our mourning into tangible expressions of God's love, we may be comforted to hear of the healing that is taking place.
There's another kind of mourning that we find in the Scriptures. In Genesis 6:6 we find that before the flood, humankind's wickedness had become so great that God grieved over having created people. In Luke 19:41-44 we read that on Palm Sunday Jesus wept over Jerusalem. There are times when we find ourselves grieving over poor choices, addictions or alienation from God among our family and friends. We pray that they, and we, may be comforted as they respond to our caring and God's love.
Lastly, do you ever find yourself mourning over things that you have done or failed to do? That was the experience of Peter after he denied the Lord the third time: "...he went outside and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:62) Could your mourning be an indication that you need to seek and find forgiveness from God, and also perhaps to ask forgiveness from someone you hurt? That's the thrust of this verse from 2 Corinthians 7:10: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." When the Prodigal Son, starving and mourning, came to his senses, he set out to beg forgiveness from his father. The warm welcome, forgiveness and comfort he received were beyond his wildest expectations.
At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus visited the synagogue in Nazareth and read these words from Isaiah 61:1-2: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn..."
During this Lenten season, may we be comforted by the One who fulfilled these words from Isaiah 53:3-5: "He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed."
1. What have been the most significant losses that you have mourned in your life? Looking back, are you able to see ways in which God comforted you?
2. Do you think of anyone who is mourning -- due to circumstances beyond their control or due to their own choices? Are there ways in which you may reach out to them with God's love?
3. Are you mourning over things that you have done or failed to do? Do you need to ask forgiveness from someone you hurt? What would you say to God about those failures? If the Man of Sorrows came to bear your griefs, are you ready to accept His forgiveness and comfort?
"It is not enough for us...within the arena of the world's pain merely to know of a God who sympathizes. It is not even enough to know of a God who heals. We need to know of and be connected with a God who experiences with us, for us, each grief, each wound. We need to be bonded with a God who has had nails in the hands and a spear in the heart."
Flora Slosson Wuellner, Weavings
Wow -- if a special blessing being reserved for those who are poor in spirit seemed "upside down," the blessing of the second Beatitude seems even more unlikely. Who would ever choose to mourn? The Greek word that is translated "mourn" describes the most acute, intense kind of grief -- "to bewail or to lament." Mourning is often accompanied by crying, so it's of interest that the following appears in the version of the Beatitudes found in Luke (6:21): "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh."
We probably most often think of mourning as being a result of the death of a loved one, but there are many other life experiences that can reduce us to wailing -- flunking a test, being dumped by a girl/boyfriend, learning that our parents are getting divorced, discovering that we didn't get that perfect job, hearing that a close sibling got orders to ship out to Iraq for a third tour of duty.
There are many examples of this sort of meaning of "mourning" in the Scriptures, such as:
- Abraham mourned at his wife Sarah's death and wept over her. (Gen. 23:1-2)
- When Joseph was sold by his brothers, his father Jacob believed that he had been killed, causing Jacob to mourn for "many days." (Gen. 37:34-35)
- David lamented the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. (2 Samuel 1)
We even see Jesus mourning at the death of Lazarus, as recorded in John 11:35 - "Jesus wept." Since he would soon thereafter raise Lazarus from the dead, we have to assume that Jesus' grief was in the nature of empathy for Mary and Martha.
So is it from this deep emotional response to loss that Jesus is telling us we will be comforted? Certainly it seems to be one appropriate application of the Beatitude. As Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, we can trust God to meet us with empathy and comfort in times of loss. Does God have experience with anything similar to human grief? How about what happened when Jesus humbled Himself to be born as a human being? Though it was done out of sheer love, the incarnation came with an unfathomable cost. How about the crucifixion?
There are other possible understandings of the mourning that will be comforted. Most of us don't know anyone in Haiti or Chile, but we couldn't help but mourn for the people in those countries as we recently saw on television the unthinkable numbers of dead, wounded and homeless people. God's concern for poor and oppressed people, and for social justice, is highlighted in over 300 verses in Scripture. As we reach out to those people by turning our mourning into tangible expressions of God's love, we may be comforted to hear of the healing that is taking place.
There's another kind of mourning that we find in the Scriptures. In Genesis 6:6 we find that before the flood, humankind's wickedness had become so great that God grieved over having created people. In Luke 19:41-44 we read that on Palm Sunday Jesus wept over Jerusalem. There are times when we find ourselves grieving over poor choices, addictions or alienation from God among our family and friends. We pray that they, and we, may be comforted as they respond to our caring and God's love.
Lastly, do you ever find yourself mourning over things that you have done or failed to do? That was the experience of Peter after he denied the Lord the third time: "...he went outside and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:62) Could your mourning be an indication that you need to seek and find forgiveness from God, and also perhaps to ask forgiveness from someone you hurt? That's the thrust of this verse from 2 Corinthians 7:10: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." When the Prodigal Son, starving and mourning, came to his senses, he set out to beg forgiveness from his father. The warm welcome, forgiveness and comfort he received were beyond his wildest expectations.
At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus visited the synagogue in Nazareth and read these words from Isaiah 61:1-2: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn..."
During this Lenten season, may we be comforted by the One who fulfilled these words from Isaiah 53:3-5: "He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed."
1. What have been the most significant losses that you have mourned in your life? Looking back, are you able to see ways in which God comforted you?
2. Do you think of anyone who is mourning -- due to circumstances beyond their control or due to their own choices? Are there ways in which you may reach out to them with God's love?
3. Are you mourning over things that you have done or failed to do? Do you need to ask forgiveness from someone you hurt? What would you say to God about those failures? If the Man of Sorrows came to bear your griefs, are you ready to accept His forgiveness and comfort?
"It is not enough for us...within the arena of the world's pain merely to know of a God who sympathizes. It is not even enough to know of a God who heals. We need to know of and be connected with a God who experiences with us, for us, each grief, each wound. We need to be bonded with a God who has had nails in the hands and a spear in the heart."
Flora Slosson Wuellner, Weavings
The Lord's Calling by Elizabeth Bledsoe
Have you ever been sitting in your apt or car and suddenly a friend pops into your head? And you just shake your head and move on with what you are doing. Or have you ever had words come to your mind that you know you should say to a friend, but they don’t make sense to you, and you just brush it off?
That isn’t just coincidence that is God speaking to you. That’s God trying to use YOU to speak to someone else. And we need to learn to listen, because someone else’s life may depend on it.
Last night while on facebook I was talking to a friend, she has been having a rough few weeks and just really going through a lot. While talking with her I could hear someone telling me I need to tell her something’s but I just brushed it off and ignored the voice. It kept getting louder and finally I said okay God what do you want with me! I remembered a message at IHOP about how when we hear that voice and when it’s speaking about someone, we need to stop and say, “Lord I am available what do you want to do with me.”
So I gave it a try last night, I said what do you want with me. The Lord laughed and said sign on as Mr. Compliments you nicely (facebook profile) I have some work for you to do. So I signed on using a different internet browser so I could still be signed on. I went on, and just waited, he (God) drew me to some people’s pages I wrote the first things that came to my mind and after a few posts, I thought I was done. NOPE! He lead me to a close friends of mine (friend I was talking to earlier) status, it was about Mr. Compliments and her wanting to know who it was that was posting on her wall, cause you see anyone can sign on as this person and post compliments to their friends or to anyone that is friends with Mr. Compliments. I, acting as Mr. Compliments responded to her post saying, I am a messenger from God. For she (my friend) had no clue who I was. We continued to speak for 3 hours back and for posting on her status thread. Whatever came to my mind I wrote, even if I was like whoa God what is that about? I still wrote it. I tried a few times to erase something but the backspace wouldn’t work. A few times I tried to stop my fingers from moving but they kept typing. That night on facebook, two friends were joined together by God. My friend was searching for something, she was searching for God, she needed to be renewed by him, she needed his guidance, and she needed his touch. She had been searching and searching and was coming up empty. And I, needed to see God’s work be done, I needed to see him really work in someone’s life. Last night, late at night, God used me, Elizabeth, to be his messenger to talk to my friend. Today when I talked to my friend, she told me she met God last night and that she is just in awe over what happened. She had no clue it was me, her ordinary friend that she talks to daily, she did however find out later it was me, and that God used me to talk to her.
I had every chance to ignore his will, to say I am busy, I don’t have time, I don’t want to do this, it’s late, and she won’t listen. But I listened to him, I said I am available use me! And because of that my friend met with God last night for 3 hours and found what she was looking for. I challenge you this week to think about this and to next time when you are walking down the street or are in your room and you hear that voice speak to you, that you step back and ask the question, “Lord I am available what do you want with me?” And be open to receiving cause not only did my friend meet Jesus last night, so did I!
Psalm 28:6-7 (The Message)
Blessed be God—he heard me praying.
He proved he's on my side; I've thrown my lot in with him.
Now I'm jumping for joy, and shouting and singing my thanks to him.
That isn’t just coincidence that is God speaking to you. That’s God trying to use YOU to speak to someone else. And we need to learn to listen, because someone else’s life may depend on it.
Last night while on facebook I was talking to a friend, she has been having a rough few weeks and just really going through a lot. While talking with her I could hear someone telling me I need to tell her something’s but I just brushed it off and ignored the voice. It kept getting louder and finally I said okay God what do you want with me! I remembered a message at IHOP about how when we hear that voice and when it’s speaking about someone, we need to stop and say, “Lord I am available what do you want to do with me.”
So I gave it a try last night, I said what do you want with me. The Lord laughed and said sign on as Mr. Compliments you nicely (facebook profile) I have some work for you to do. So I signed on using a different internet browser so I could still be signed on. I went on, and just waited, he (God) drew me to some people’s pages I wrote the first things that came to my mind and after a few posts, I thought I was done. NOPE! He lead me to a close friends of mine (friend I was talking to earlier) status, it was about Mr. Compliments and her wanting to know who it was that was posting on her wall, cause you see anyone can sign on as this person and post compliments to their friends or to anyone that is friends with Mr. Compliments. I, acting as Mr. Compliments responded to her post saying, I am a messenger from God. For she (my friend) had no clue who I was. We continued to speak for 3 hours back and for posting on her status thread. Whatever came to my mind I wrote, even if I was like whoa God what is that about? I still wrote it. I tried a few times to erase something but the backspace wouldn’t work. A few times I tried to stop my fingers from moving but they kept typing. That night on facebook, two friends were joined together by God. My friend was searching for something, she was searching for God, she needed to be renewed by him, she needed his guidance, and she needed his touch. She had been searching and searching and was coming up empty. And I, needed to see God’s work be done, I needed to see him really work in someone’s life. Last night, late at night, God used me, Elizabeth, to be his messenger to talk to my friend. Today when I talked to my friend, she told me she met God last night and that she is just in awe over what happened. She had no clue it was me, her ordinary friend that she talks to daily, she did however find out later it was me, and that God used me to talk to her.
I had every chance to ignore his will, to say I am busy, I don’t have time, I don’t want to do this, it’s late, and she won’t listen. But I listened to him, I said I am available use me! And because of that my friend met with God last night for 3 hours and found what she was looking for. I challenge you this week to think about this and to next time when you are walking down the street or are in your room and you hear that voice speak to you, that you step back and ask the question, “Lord I am available what do you want with me?” And be open to receiving cause not only did my friend meet Jesus last night, so did I!
Psalm 28:6-7 (The Message)
Blessed be God—he heard me praying.
He proved he's on my side; I've thrown my lot in with him.
Now I'm jumping for joy, and shouting and singing my thanks to him.
Beattitudes- Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit by Owen Cooper
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
What does it mean to be blessed?
The word “blessed” is an adjective, that is, it’s a descriptor word.
Who are the poor in spirit?
We know what it means to be poor. But some of the ways this Greek word (ptochos) is used in the Bible according to http://www.blueletterbible.org/ will expand our understanding of “poor.” Here they are:
1) reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms
2) destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour
a) lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches
b) helpless, powerless to accomplish an end
c) poor, needy
3) lacking in anything
a) as respects their spirit
1) destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves up to Christ's teaching and proved them selves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure)
Looking up and down that list, the word blessed is most likely not going to come into your mind!
Do you feel blessed when you’re reduced to begging?
Do you feel blessed when you have no money? Or when you have no power to change your circumstances? Or no respect from others?
Do you feel blessed when you are lacking?
But what does it mean to be poor in spirit?
Here are some other yearnings of the spirit from Scripture. Look them up and see how God deals with the:
Oppressed in spirit 1 Samuel 1:15
Crushed in spirit Psalm 34:18
Humble in spirit Proverbs 16:19; 1 Peter 3:8
Deeply moved in spirit John 11:33
Troubled in spirit John 13:21
Sober in spirit 1 Peter 1:13
Did you see a common theme?
Hannah was oppressed in spirit. God heard her and allowed her to have a baby after years of being unable. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. It is better to be humble in spirit. Jesus was deeply moved in spirit at Lazarus’ death. God allowed Lazarus to come back from the dead. Jesus was troubled in spirit when he knew a disciple would betray him. This is a rare time where we see God not intervene. Peter commands us to keep sober in our spirit and after this list we can see why!
A couple of other things to note about our spirit. There is a kind of spirit we want to avoid:
Stagnant in spirit Zephaniah 1:12 (The Lord will punish the stagnant in spirit.)
Lastly, some positive things for our spirit:
Strong in spirit Luke 1:80 (Describes John the Baptist.)
Fervent in spirit Acts 18:25; Romans 12:11 (Describes how a teacher was teaching. Describes how we are to serve the Lord.)
United in spirit Philippians 2:2 (We are asked to be united to all other believers.)
In spirit and truth John 4:23-24 (Describes how God is to be worshipped.)
Are you beginning to see where Jesus was coming from when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”?
Remember the upside down perspective Pastor David talked about in the introductory e-mail study? Here we see it again!
What is the Kingdom of Heaven?
First, a Kingdom should be defined as royal power, kingship, dominion, or rule. It is not to be confused with an actual kingdom of land, but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom. In Scripture, the Kingdom of Heaven (or of God) is spoken as the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah. And Jesus’ royal power and dignity are conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom. So the Kingdom of Heaven is anywhere Jesus Messiah reigns.
Here’s some more Matthew references to the Kingdom of Heaven:
Matthew 3:2
Matthew 4:17
Matthew 5:3
Matthew 5:10
Matthew 5:19-20
Matthew 7:21
Matthew 8:11
Matthew 10:7
Matthew 11:11-12
Matthew 13:11
Matthew 13:24
Matthew 13:31-33
Matthew 13:44-47
Matthew 13:52
Matthew 16:19
Matthew 18:1-4
Matthew 18:23
Matthew 19:12-14
Matthew 19:23
Matthew 20:1
Matthew 22:2
Matthew 23:13
Matthew 25:1
So here’s a perspective I’ll ask you to ponder this week:
What if the Kingdom of Heaven is ours when we are powerless?
“And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What if when we think we have it all together, we are actually hindering God from working in our lives? What if our lack of money or our lack of power or our lack of respect is a tool that God is using to perfect us for the Kingdom of Heaven?
“Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters when you encounter trials of many kinds, for the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
And if that’s the case, then what are we supposed to do?
Look at beginning of James 1 again. “Consider it pure joy!”
What do we have to be joyful about in our trials and our testing, in our “poor spirits”?
Because, “ours is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Our joy will be to be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
“For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Questions for Reflection:
In what ways do I feel “poor in spirit”?
In what ways do I feel blessed?
How would you describe your spirit right now?
Where do you see the Kingdom of Heaven in your life?
How can you be joyful this week in the midst of your trials?
What does it mean to be blessed?
The word “blessed” is an adjective, that is, it’s a descriptor word.
Who are the poor in spirit?
We know what it means to be poor. But some of the ways this Greek word (ptochos) is used in the Bible according to http://www.blueletterbible.org/ will expand our understanding of “poor.” Here they are:
1) reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms
2) destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour
a) lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches
b) helpless, powerless to accomplish an end
c) poor, needy
3) lacking in anything
a) as respects their spirit
1) destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves up to Christ's teaching and proved them selves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure)
Looking up and down that list, the word blessed is most likely not going to come into your mind!
Do you feel blessed when you’re reduced to begging?
Do you feel blessed when you have no money? Or when you have no power to change your circumstances? Or no respect from others?
Do you feel blessed when you are lacking?
But what does it mean to be poor in spirit?
Here are some other yearnings of the spirit from Scripture. Look them up and see how God deals with the:
Oppressed in spirit 1 Samuel 1:15
Crushed in spirit Psalm 34:18
Humble in spirit Proverbs 16:19; 1 Peter 3:8
Deeply moved in spirit John 11:33
Troubled in spirit John 13:21
Sober in spirit 1 Peter 1:13
Did you see a common theme?
Hannah was oppressed in spirit. God heard her and allowed her to have a baby after years of being unable. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. It is better to be humble in spirit. Jesus was deeply moved in spirit at Lazarus’ death. God allowed Lazarus to come back from the dead. Jesus was troubled in spirit when he knew a disciple would betray him. This is a rare time where we see God not intervene. Peter commands us to keep sober in our spirit and after this list we can see why!
A couple of other things to note about our spirit. There is a kind of spirit we want to avoid:
Stagnant in spirit Zephaniah 1:12 (The Lord will punish the stagnant in spirit.)
Lastly, some positive things for our spirit:
Strong in spirit Luke 1:80 (Describes John the Baptist.)
Fervent in spirit Acts 18:25; Romans 12:11 (Describes how a teacher was teaching. Describes how we are to serve the Lord.)
United in spirit Philippians 2:2 (We are asked to be united to all other believers.)
In spirit and truth John 4:23-24 (Describes how God is to be worshipped.)
Are you beginning to see where Jesus was coming from when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”?
Remember the upside down perspective Pastor David talked about in the introductory e-mail study? Here we see it again!
What is the Kingdom of Heaven?
First, a Kingdom should be defined as royal power, kingship, dominion, or rule. It is not to be confused with an actual kingdom of land, but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom. In Scripture, the Kingdom of Heaven (or of God) is spoken as the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah. And Jesus’ royal power and dignity are conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom. So the Kingdom of Heaven is anywhere Jesus Messiah reigns.
Here’s some more Matthew references to the Kingdom of Heaven:
Matthew 3:2
Matthew 4:17
Matthew 5:3
Matthew 5:10
Matthew 5:19-20
Matthew 7:21
Matthew 8:11
Matthew 10:7
Matthew 11:11-12
Matthew 13:11
Matthew 13:24
Matthew 13:31-33
Matthew 13:44-47
Matthew 13:52
Matthew 16:19
Matthew 18:1-4
Matthew 18:23
Matthew 19:12-14
Matthew 19:23
Matthew 20:1
Matthew 22:2
Matthew 23:13
Matthew 25:1
So here’s a perspective I’ll ask you to ponder this week:
What if the Kingdom of Heaven is ours when we are powerless?
“And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What if when we think we have it all together, we are actually hindering God from working in our lives? What if our lack of money or our lack of power or our lack of respect is a tool that God is using to perfect us for the Kingdom of Heaven?
“Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters when you encounter trials of many kinds, for the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
And if that’s the case, then what are we supposed to do?
Look at beginning of James 1 again. “Consider it pure joy!”
What do we have to be joyful about in our trials and our testing, in our “poor spirits”?
Because, “ours is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Our joy will be to be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
“For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Questions for Reflection:
In what ways do I feel “poor in spirit”?
In what ways do I feel blessed?
How would you describe your spirit right now?
Where do you see the Kingdom of Heaven in your life?
How can you be joyful this week in the midst of your trials?
Appearances by Monica Digman
1 Samuel 16:7
7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance but the LORD looks on the heart."
This scripture was talking about when David was anointed as King. God is telling Samuel not to choose one of Jesse's older sons. Jesse was to bring all of his sons before Samuel. All were present but David, the youngest, who was tending the sheep. When David arrived he was covered in ruddy dirt, but was the one chosen to become king.
This scripture reminds us all to remember that we are different. You must keep your mind open to find what you are searching for; whether it be a helping hand, someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on.
"Don't judge a book by its cover."
7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance but the LORD looks on the heart."
This scripture was talking about when David was anointed as King. God is telling Samuel not to choose one of Jesse's older sons. Jesse was to bring all of his sons before Samuel. All were present but David, the youngest, who was tending the sheep. When David arrived he was covered in ruddy dirt, but was the one chosen to become king.
This scripture reminds us all to remember that we are different. You must keep your mind open to find what you are searching for; whether it be a helping hand, someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on.
"Don't judge a book by its cover."
Beattitudes- Introduction by David Kalas
Upside Down Boat
The Oscar-winning 1972 disaster movie, The Poseidon Adventure, told the story of a capsized cruise ship. The SS Poseidon was sailing in the Mediterranean when a sub-sea earthquake caused a great "wall of water" to dwarf and devastate the ship. The carefree passengers were happily celebrating midnight on New Year's Eve at the time, and the majority were immediately killed by the catastrophe. Once the initial chaos of being capsized was over, however, the few who had survived were left with the dilemma of how best to position themselves to be rescued.
One group insisted that staying put was the best course of action. Virtually every passenger had been in the Grand Ballroom at the time, and some thought it best to stay in that same location until help arrived.
Another group, however, reasoned differently. They reckoned that, if the ship was upside down, the best course of action was to work their way to the bottom of the ship -- which was now on top. Any rescue attempt from outside, they figured, would have to come through the bottom of the boat. The rest of the movie (spoiler alert!) tracks this handful of purposeful passengers as they make their way through the bowels of the ship, enduring many obstacles, until they reach the bottom near the propeller shaft. And, in the end, we discover that they are the only passengers to be saved.
Upside Down World
The irony of The Poseidon Adventure is the counter-intuitive nature of salvation.
Customarily, passengers traveling on a cruise ship aspire to the top of the ship. The higher the deck, the more expensive and plush the passage. Conversely, the lower the deck, the less desirable the accommodations. And, of course, no passenger chooses to book passage in the dark, dank, and deep propeller shaft room.
Yet that most undesirable place proves to be the way of salvation for the Poseidon passengers. But only because the ship was upside down.
As we read the New Testament, we discover a similar sort of paradigm at work.
The world has its own standards of desirability. Those standards are so much a part of our thinking that they go unquestioned by us. Naturally, we prefer comfort over pain, abundance over want, happiness over sadness, adulation over persecution, and such. We are wired to seek our own pleasure. And as the world relaxes our standards of morality, our pursuit of pleasure meets with fewer and fewer inhibitions. Consequently, concerns for purity, integrity, discipline, and self-sacrifice are set aside in favor of what the world considers the 'upper decks' of the experiences this world has to offer.
But the New Testament understands that this world has been capsized by sin. It is completely upside down. Most of the passengers don't recognize it, however. After all, it's always been this way, hasn't it? At least it has been like this our whole lives, and so how could we know or imagine anything different?
God so loved this world, however, that He sent His Son to it. And that Son of God taught His followers to cut across the world's grain. And so, while the rest of the world lives in hot pursuit of what it considers to be the 'top,' Christ's followers are invited to live toward the 'bottom.'
Living Toward the Bottom
When Jesus teaches that the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matthew 19:30), or that the one who would be greatest must become the servant of all (Matthew 23:11; Mark 9:35), or that whoever wants to save his life must lose it (Luke 9:24), He is teaching an upside-down paradigm. He is pointing all who would be saved to head toward the bottom of this world's boat. It seems contrary to every instinct, yet the people who follow Him find their rescue, and their freedom there!
One of the classic illustrations of this counter-intuitive paradigm is the set of teachings we know as The Beatitudes. They appear at the beginning of the longer and well-known passage of teaching that we call The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
The term "beatitude" itself does not appear as such in the text. Dictionary.com defines the word as "supreme blessedness; exalted happiness," and so the term is applied to this collection of teachings because they contain Jesus' keys to happiness. Indeed, each line in the teaching begins with the Greek word "makarios," which means "blessed" or "happy."
Yet see the sort of people that Jesus identifies as "happy." The poor in spirit. Those who mourn. The meek. The pure. Those who are persecuted. Those who are reviled and slandered by others.
Is He crazy? If that's the key to happiness, we think, then perhaps we don't want any part of it!
But, no, Jesus is not crazy. He is simply encouraging us to find the bottom of the boat, for in that unlikely and seemingly undesirable place are the people who will be comforted, will inherit the earth, will receive a great reward, and will see God!
Questions to Consider
1) Consider the following conditions, and identify which ones best describe you:
poor in spirit
mourning
meek
hungering and thirsting for righteousness
merciful
pure in heart
peacemaker
persecuted for righteousness' sake
reviled, persecuted, and slandered on account of Jesus
2) Consider the following promises, and identify which one seems most desirable to you:
receiving the kingdom of heaven
being comforted
inheriting the earth
being filled
receiving mercy
seeing God
being called children of God
receiving a great reward in heaven
3) In what ways have you aspired to the 'top' of the world's boat?
4) In what ways have you chosen the 'bottom'?
The Oscar-winning 1972 disaster movie, The Poseidon Adventure, told the story of a capsized cruise ship. The SS Poseidon was sailing in the Mediterranean when a sub-sea earthquake caused a great "wall of water" to dwarf and devastate the ship. The carefree passengers were happily celebrating midnight on New Year's Eve at the time, and the majority were immediately killed by the catastrophe. Once the initial chaos of being capsized was over, however, the few who had survived were left with the dilemma of how best to position themselves to be rescued.
One group insisted that staying put was the best course of action. Virtually every passenger had been in the Grand Ballroom at the time, and some thought it best to stay in that same location until help arrived.
Another group, however, reasoned differently. They reckoned that, if the ship was upside down, the best course of action was to work their way to the bottom of the ship -- which was now on top. Any rescue attempt from outside, they figured, would have to come through the bottom of the boat. The rest of the movie (spoiler alert!) tracks this handful of purposeful passengers as they make their way through the bowels of the ship, enduring many obstacles, until they reach the bottom near the propeller shaft. And, in the end, we discover that they are the only passengers to be saved.
Upside Down World
The irony of The Poseidon Adventure is the counter-intuitive nature of salvation.
Customarily, passengers traveling on a cruise ship aspire to the top of the ship. The higher the deck, the more expensive and plush the passage. Conversely, the lower the deck, the less desirable the accommodations. And, of course, no passenger chooses to book passage in the dark, dank, and deep propeller shaft room.
Yet that most undesirable place proves to be the way of salvation for the Poseidon passengers. But only because the ship was upside down.
As we read the New Testament, we discover a similar sort of paradigm at work.
The world has its own standards of desirability. Those standards are so much a part of our thinking that they go unquestioned by us. Naturally, we prefer comfort over pain, abundance over want, happiness over sadness, adulation over persecution, and such. We are wired to seek our own pleasure. And as the world relaxes our standards of morality, our pursuit of pleasure meets with fewer and fewer inhibitions. Consequently, concerns for purity, integrity, discipline, and self-sacrifice are set aside in favor of what the world considers the 'upper decks' of the experiences this world has to offer.
But the New Testament understands that this world has been capsized by sin. It is completely upside down. Most of the passengers don't recognize it, however. After all, it's always been this way, hasn't it? At least it has been like this our whole lives, and so how could we know or imagine anything different?
God so loved this world, however, that He sent His Son to it. And that Son of God taught His followers to cut across the world's grain. And so, while the rest of the world lives in hot pursuit of what it considers to be the 'top,' Christ's followers are invited to live toward the 'bottom.'
Living Toward the Bottom
When Jesus teaches that the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matthew 19:30), or that the one who would be greatest must become the servant of all (Matthew 23:11; Mark 9:35), or that whoever wants to save his life must lose it (Luke 9:24), He is teaching an upside-down paradigm. He is pointing all who would be saved to head toward the bottom of this world's boat. It seems contrary to every instinct, yet the people who follow Him find their rescue, and their freedom there!
One of the classic illustrations of this counter-intuitive paradigm is the set of teachings we know as The Beatitudes. They appear at the beginning of the longer and well-known passage of teaching that we call The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
The term "beatitude" itself does not appear as such in the text. Dictionary.com defines the word as "supreme blessedness; exalted happiness," and so the term is applied to this collection of teachings because they contain Jesus' keys to happiness. Indeed, each line in the teaching begins with the Greek word "makarios," which means "blessed" or "happy."
Yet see the sort of people that Jesus identifies as "happy." The poor in spirit. Those who mourn. The meek. The pure. Those who are persecuted. Those who are reviled and slandered by others.
Is He crazy? If that's the key to happiness, we think, then perhaps we don't want any part of it!
But, no, Jesus is not crazy. He is simply encouraging us to find the bottom of the boat, for in that unlikely and seemingly undesirable place are the people who will be comforted, will inherit the earth, will receive a great reward, and will see God!
Questions to Consider
1) Consider the following conditions, and identify which ones best describe you:
poor in spirit
mourning
meek
hungering and thirsting for righteousness
merciful
pure in heart
peacemaker
persecuted for righteousness' sake
reviled, persecuted, and slandered on account of Jesus
2) Consider the following promises, and identify which one seems most desirable to you:
receiving the kingdom of heaven
being comforted
inheriting the earth
being filled
receiving mercy
seeing God
being called children of God
receiving a great reward in heaven
3) In what ways have you aspired to the 'top' of the world's boat?
4) In what ways have you chosen the 'bottom'?
Forgivness by Katelyn DeVoe
Mark 11:25 - And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
Have you ever gotten in a fight with a friend or family member or possibly been a victim to cruel acts? Over the course of my life I have had my fair share of fights with friends and upsetting situations. In the last couple of months I have been really praying for the ability to forgive. [Just as we say every week in church, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”] When you have a lot of feelings left “weighing heavy on your heart”, as I like to say, they can really start to affect all kinds of relationships in your life. One of the relationships I am talking about and the most important one would be your relationship with God. God doesn’t want to see you hurt and carrying all the burden of anger and frustration. When you pray to him and ask for the ability to forgive and to carry out your forgiveness only then can you become closer to Him.
Knowing that God is there for me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for my whole life none the less is something I put so much faith, and comfort into. I know that God has a greater plan for me and that learning to forgive and strengthening my relationship with God only makes me a better follower of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you ever gotten in a fight with a friend or family member or possibly been a victim to cruel acts? Over the course of my life I have had my fair share of fights with friends and upsetting situations. In the last couple of months I have been really praying for the ability to forgive. [Just as we say every week in church, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”] When you have a lot of feelings left “weighing heavy on your heart”, as I like to say, they can really start to affect all kinds of relationships in your life. One of the relationships I am talking about and the most important one would be your relationship with God. God doesn’t want to see you hurt and carrying all the burden of anger and frustration. When you pray to him and ask for the ability to forgive and to carry out your forgiveness only then can you become closer to Him.
Knowing that God is there for me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for my whole life none the less is something I put so much faith, and comfort into. I know that God has a greater plan for me and that learning to forgive and strengthening my relationship with God only makes me a better follower of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Give Thanks by Zach Chudy
I was reading 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” and thought of the story of Joseph and how he could have easily seen the situation in front of him (being sold into slavery by his own brothers) as being evil and just bear through it until better times. But he chose to see “Christ” through his situation and realized that all though bad things in our lives are not caused by God, God is in them using them to benefit and teach us. So many people will be talking about a hard time in their life and say “but God pulled me through it”, but in those moments do any of us thank God (“in all circumstances”)?
I was having a really good day last Thursday, just felt relaxed and joyful, when I got a phone call from my dad saying that my place of employment sent me my tax statement and that it was incorrect and I needed to get that straightened out. And he also needed my tax form from UW-Whitewater (which I have deleted because he has never needed that e-mail for the last 3 years). This, although really not that difficult, ruined my day in an instant and just made me irritated.
And then I remembered what I had read earlier that day and chose to see this annoyance as a way to trust in the Lord. I then sat down, prayed, and thanked God for this problem that really made me angry. I chose to experience him in the midst of it. Later that weekend I had found a way to get a hold of my tax form from Whitewater and the right W2 arrived at my house. This was a very simple solution that worked out quite nicely, but in the midst of it I hated it. But when I chose to see the Lord in it, everything changed.
Yes, the result would have still been the same and everything would have worked out, but I would have had no life and no expression of faith in the moment. No matter what it is you are going through or struggling with in your life, thank God for it and He will work with you. That doesn’t mean everything is going to work perfectly but you will be at peace and you are allowing God to work in your life through faith.
I was having a really good day last Thursday, just felt relaxed and joyful, when I got a phone call from my dad saying that my place of employment sent me my tax statement and that it was incorrect and I needed to get that straightened out. And he also needed my tax form from UW-Whitewater (which I have deleted because he has never needed that e-mail for the last 3 years). This, although really not that difficult, ruined my day in an instant and just made me irritated.
And then I remembered what I had read earlier that day and chose to see this annoyance as a way to trust in the Lord. I then sat down, prayed, and thanked God for this problem that really made me angry. I chose to experience him in the midst of it. Later that weekend I had found a way to get a hold of my tax form from Whitewater and the right W2 arrived at my house. This was a very simple solution that worked out quite nicely, but in the midst of it I hated it. But when I chose to see the Lord in it, everything changed.
Yes, the result would have still been the same and everything would have worked out, but I would have had no life and no expression of faith in the moment. No matter what it is you are going through or struggling with in your life, thank God for it and He will work with you. That doesn’t mean everything is going to work perfectly but you will be at peace and you are allowing God to work in your life through faith.
The Radical Life by Jimmy Kussow
Revelation 3:14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
These words may seem harsh at first but it’s actually a calling to live a radical life. You see it all too much in the Christian faith of people making compromises. This may be doing a little bit of something even though God has told you not to. This happened to me last semester and at the Onething conference in Kansas City put on by the International House of Prayer, God broke me of it. At this conference I fell more in love with God and could see how much Whitewater needed God, whether it on campus or in the city in general. I saw the luke-warmness in the Christian family here in Whitewater and how we need to be praying for our own brothers and sisters in the faith and pray they stop making compromises and start living the radical life of love that God has called us to.
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
These words may seem harsh at first but it’s actually a calling to live a radical life. You see it all too much in the Christian faith of people making compromises. This may be doing a little bit of something even though God has told you not to. This happened to me last semester and at the Onething conference in Kansas City put on by the International House of Prayer, God broke me of it. At this conference I fell more in love with God and could see how much Whitewater needed God, whether it on campus or in the city in general. I saw the luke-warmness in the Christian family here in Whitewater and how we need to be praying for our own brothers and sisters in the faith and pray they stop making compromises and start living the radical life of love that God has called us to.
A Time For Everything by Samantha Ruehl
Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance" (NIV).
Sometimes school and work can become overwhelming and take over our lives. So far this semester I have been very busy, and it has been hard to make time for fun, but when I manage to I find time for fun it's so much more enjoyable. Last semester I had plenty of time to have fun and realized that too much of some things — television, shopping, eating, for example — can corrode our spiritual health. We need a good balance in our lives. We don't want to overwork and miss out on all the joyful things the Lord has made, but we also don't want to have too much fun and lose sight of other important things. Our happiness is important to God. He created pleasure because he enjoys watching us laugh and smile. Having fun helps us balance the disappointments and hard times in life, but God also expects us to work. Like Ecclesiastes says, “there is a time for everything.” Are you using your time wisely, in a way that honors God?
Sometimes school and work can become overwhelming and take over our lives. So far this semester I have been very busy, and it has been hard to make time for fun, but when I manage to I find time for fun it's so much more enjoyable. Last semester I had plenty of time to have fun and realized that too much of some things — television, shopping, eating, for example — can corrode our spiritual health. We need a good balance in our lives. We don't want to overwork and miss out on all the joyful things the Lord has made, but we also don't want to have too much fun and lose sight of other important things. Our happiness is important to God. He created pleasure because he enjoys watching us laugh and smile. Having fun helps us balance the disappointments and hard times in life, but God also expects us to work. Like Ecclesiastes says, “there is a time for everything.” Are you using your time wisely, in a way that honors God?
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