POST #28: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Extending Mercy!

There are many wonderful ways that we can be like JESUS.  I suppose none is any more attractive than being known as someone who extends mercy.  It is a type of kindness that is rare.  

In this day of fast food, 24 hour service, and instant messaging, impatience runs deep. Cutting people  some slack does not come naturally.  Giving people mercy and grace because their culture does not match yours is not the norm.  In fact, making quick judgments about people and "running over" people tend to be the norm. 

I look in the gospels and see how often people cried out for "mercy" to JESUS.  HE was ready and willing to extend it; and HE did!  Here are a few examples:

• Matthew 9:27  "JESUS went on from there, two blind men followed HIM, crying out, “Have mercy on us, SON OF DAVID!"

• Matthew 15:22  "And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, LORD, SON OF DAVID; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”

• Mark 10:46-47  "Then they *came to Jericho. And as HE was leaving Jericho with HIS disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was JESUS THE NAZARENE, he began to cry out and say, “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, have mercy on me!”

• Luke 17:12-13   "As HE entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met HIM; and they raised their voices, saying, “JESUS, MASTER, have mercy on us!”

JESUS, no matter how busy YOU were...  no matter, how inconvenient it was... YOU modeled for us by stopping what YOU were doing and taking care of a person's need(s) by extending mercy.  Thank YOU, JESUS!  I am forever grateful!

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!
GIGATTAATTGIG

POST #27: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: What is mercy? Blessed are the merciful...

 JESUS' "Sermon on the Mount" begins with 3 beatitudes that explain the attitudes/behaviors that a christian's heart should have in response to our GREAT GOD: 

1. poor in spirit (recognizing, with humility/submission, how much I need my GOD)
2. mourning (confessing/repenting of my sinfulness)
3. meek (gently handing the leadership of my life to my GOD)

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This humble, contrite, submissive response is followed by a fourth attitude/behavior: 

     4.  hungering and thirsting for righteousness (a desire to know more about GOD, HIS ways, HIS desires by getting to know JESUS - our Righteousness).

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What are the blessings/promises that come from living out these first 4 beatitudes?

1. I'm part of the Kingdom of Heaven!
2. I'm comforted!
3. I will "inherit the earth"!  (...because my FATHER, the CREATOR, can supply all my needs and so much more...)
4. I will be satisfied!

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This whole process is ongoing... cyclical... daily...  Yet, the more I live out these first four beatitudes, the more I grasp the enormity of GOD's grace and mercy that's been extended to me. I'm growing in my understanding of how much mercy I really have received.  I, then, in turn choose to extend mercy to others:

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Attitude / behavior:

      5.  "BLESSED are the merciful...

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Blessing/Promise:

      5.   ...for they shall receive mercy."

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Today, join me in meditating on the following.  There are three times in the gospels that JESUS uses the word "merciful".  The first two are in HIS "Sermon on the Mount":
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Matthew 5:7

 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
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Matthew 6:36

"Be merciful, just as your FATHER is merciful."
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Luke 18:9-14

^{9 "}And HE also told this parable

to some people who trusted in themselves

that they were righteous,

and viewed others with contempt:

¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray,

one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

¹¹ The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself:

 ‘GOD, I thank YOU that I am not like other people:

swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

¹² I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

¹³ But the tax collector,

standing some distance away,

was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven,

but was beating his breast, saying,

‘GOD, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

¹⁴ I tell you,

this man went to his house justified rather than the other;

for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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Do you see what I see?   

1.  When I choose to be merciful, I am BLESSED to get mercy in return.  

2.  My model for mercy, is my heavenly FATHER.

3.  Requesting mercy requires humility on my part.
4.  GOD's mercy is a driving force of love and compassion, that leads HIM to extend freedom and relationship to people who do not deserve it.

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BLESSED!  

OH, THE JOY!

                                           GIGATTAATTGIG

POST #26: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: How a christian lives, in this world...

Friday morning, before knowing what would happen in Paris, GOD put on my heart to write my 25th blog post on the Sermon on the Mount, entitled BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD.
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Yesterday, it seems that many Christians heard teachings about LOVE or lessons from the Sermon on the Mount. I wish we had recordings of what Steve shared in his lessons yesterday. In the morning, he gave a "fireside chat" spurring us on to LOVE and GOOD DEEDS! Last night, he connected LOVE and the BEATITUDES to the book of JAMES. Here's my feeble summary:
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In a world of hate, shine LOVE!
In a world of "earthly & natural", choose WISDOM!
In a world of "arrogance", be POOR IN SPIRIT!
In a world of "every evil thing", MOURN over sin!
In a world of "selfish ambition", be MEEK/GENTLE, letting GOD take the lead!
In a world of the "demonic", HUNGER & THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!
In a world of retaliation, show MERCY!
In a world of "every evil thing", be PURE IN HEART!
In a world of "disorder and strife", be a PEACEMAKER...
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James 3:13-18
13 "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of WISDOM.
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14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
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17 But the wisdom from above is first
PURE,
then PEACEable,
GENTLE,
REASONABLE,
full of MERCY and GOOD FRUITS,
UNWAVERING, without hypocrisy.
18 And the seed whose fruit is RIGHTEOUSNESS is sown in PEACE by those who make peace."

POST #25: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: A "BLESSED people" Hunger and Thirst for JESUS or BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD!

How does our nation turn it around?   What steps must we take?  How does our nation heal? 
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The apostle Peter said this about JESUS:

"HE HIMSELF bore our sins 

in HIS body on the cross, 

so that we might die to sin 

and live to righteousness; 

for by HIS wounds you were healed."

A nation full of:

• mommies who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• daddies who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• children who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• citizens who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• aliens who hunger and thirst for righteousness

If the above were the case, then:

• ...our homes would be transformed
• ...our schools would be transformed
• ...our workplaces would be transformed
• ...our cities, towns, and countryside would be transformed
• ...our nation would be transformed...

It takes more than the little phrase,

"God bless, America!"

Blessed people are described, by JESUS, in HIS Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) by how they live.  It takes action on our part.  It takes all of us to step up and live differently to be BLESSED.  It's time for:

*a reframe*

*a reformation*

*a conversion*

*a transformation*

Want transformation? 

It begins with you and me!

AMERICA:  BLESS GOD!

JESUS says that BLESSED people:

~are poor in spirit~

~mourn over their sin~

~are meek / gentle (willing to follow HIS lead)~

~hunger and thirst for righteousness~

Scripture says that Jesus is our Righteousness.

Listen to Him!

Live like Him!

It's time to grow up in JESUS, America!

Want to know how to live a blessed life?  

I plan to continue the conversation here for the next few months...  

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!



POST #24: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: How does one become BLESSED and SATISFIED?

Have you ever said things like...

• "I'm really hungry for some chocolate!"
• "I'm craving ice cream today!"
• "I could eat this whole bag of chips!"

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It's hard to admit it, but most of us have.
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We need to train ourselves to hunger for an apple, a healthy salad, or whatever is the best thing for us to eat.  We need to train ourselves to thirst for pure water instead of all those sugary liquids we consume.
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Spiritually speaking, JESUS says that we will be blessed and satisfied (filled up) when we hunger and thirst for righteousness (JESUS).  Have you made it a habit to daily:

• study JESUS?
• meditate on HIS words?
• contemplate how HE lived His days?
• continually thank HIM for what HE has done for you?
• follow HIS lead in continually living out the beatitudes?  HIS sermon on the mount?

I have some women in my life who are spiritual rock stars.  Each one of them carves out time in their days to:

• study JESUS!
• meditate on HIS words!
• contemplate how HE lived HIS days!
•  thank HIM for what HE has done for them!

We can begin to train ourselves to hunger and thirst for righteousness by studying, meditating on, and following JESUS' lead in living out:

• HIS beatitudes! 
• HIS entire sermon on the mount!

Please join me, several days a week,

seeking to be filled/satisfied,

as we hunger and thirst for JESUS:

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A - Author of life

B - Blessed One 

C - Creator 

D - Deliverer

E - Emmanuel (God with us)

F - Faithful Friend

G - God's anointed

H - High Priest

I - I AM

J - Joy

K - King of kings and LORD of lords

L - Light 

M - Master 

N - Name above all names

O - Our righteousness

P - Prince of peace

Q - Quieter of the winds and waves

R - Righteous Redeemer

S - Savior

T - Truth

U - Unfailing love

V - Victorious warrior 

W - Way 

X - eXample 

Y - Yahweh

Z - Zion's glory

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"BLESSED" means OH, THE JOY!

"Oh, the JOY for those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness..."

POST #23: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Hunger and Thirst for JESUS... HE is our RIGHTeousness

I often think about the many people who come to the Mayo clinic, pursuing help to make things "right" for their bodies.  Each week I meet some of these people and hear their stories.  Many of them have been on quite a journey trying to find answers for physical healing.   

There are also many people, who you and I come in contact with every day,  who are on a journey  of spiritual healing.  Hopefully, it's a journey we are all on!  Do we have the desire, craving, determination, perseverance, and focus for our souls/spirits to work "the right way"?  There are so many choices out there!

In Matthew 5, Jesus speaks the 4th Be-attitude,

"Blessed are those who 
hunger and thirst for RIGHTeousness,

for they will be filled."

What is RIGHTeousness?  Webster's definition is:

1. morally upright without guilt or sin
2. in accordance with virtue or morality
3. morally justifiable
4. Christ-likeness

If the Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", then how can I be RIGHTeous if I have sinned.  Isn't RIGHTeousness "without guilt or sin"?


Aha!  Maybe the better question is, "WHO is RIGHTeousness?"

1 Corinthians 1:30, speaks of JESUS in this way,

"HE is the source of your life in CHRIST JESUS, whom GOD made:

•  our wisdom
•  our RIGHTeousness and
•  sanctification and
•  redemption..."

Thank You, GOD, that my spiritual desire, craving, determination, perseverance, and focus are really a  "hungering and thirsting for RIGHTeousness" ... that means a hungering and thirsting for JESUS!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO

HUNGER AND THIRST FOR JESUS....

So grateful today, 
JESUS,

that YOU are our RIGHTeousness! 

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

POST #22: JESUS' Sermon on the Mount: Beatitude #4

In JESUS' "Sermon on the Mount", HE spoke Beatitude #4,
as recorded in Matthew 5:6:
   

"Blessed are those who 

hunger and thirst for righteousness, 

for they shall be satisfied."

After the people realized that JESUS had walked on water, the next day they found HIM in Capernaum.  JESUS said to them, as recorded in John 6:35:

"I am the bread of life; 

the one who comes to ME will not hunger, 

and the one who believes in ME will never thirst.'"

BLESSED!  
OH, THE JOY!

POST #21: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Therapy? Unable to able! Jesus is able!

I am convinced that learning to live CHRIST'S Sermon on the Mount, day in and day out, is a big part of my transformation process.

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Have you ever had to have PHYSICAL THERAPY or known someone who has? It's amazing how doing a few exercises day in and day out will transform a muscle from UNABLE TO ABLE.

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I have seen the same thing happen with other therapies:

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VISION THERAPY: people who can't read or attend do prescribed eye exercises over a period of time and transform visual skills for reading or attention from UNABLE TO ABLE.

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INTENSIVE LEARNING THERAPY: people who have trouble with comprehension, memory, decision making, test taking, receiving/expressing information, or a myriad of thinking skills can work through prescribed thinking exercises over a period of time and transform abilities to think, reason, and learn from UNABLE TO ABLE.

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MARRIAGE/FAMILY THERAPY: couples and families who struggle with their relationships can work through prescribed relational assignments over a period of time and transform their ability to do "healthy family" from UNABLE TO ABLE.

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COGNITIVE or PSYCHO-THERAPY: people who struggle with emotional or mental health challenges can work through assignments over a period of time and transform their ability to control emotions and mood swings from UNABLE TO ABLE.

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HOLY SPIRIT THERAPY: christian moms and dads, women and men, girls and boys who have named Jesus as their LORD and been spiritually clothed with Him in baptism struggle with their christian walk can work through Sermon on the Mount daily exercises and activities over a period of time and transform their ability to "walk by faith and not by sight", via the leading of the Holy Spirit, from UNABLE TO ABLE.

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Recently, we've looked at the first 3 Be-attitudes. Now, here's a daily "therapy" assignment to jump start your HOLY SPIRIT THERAPY. What a blessing!
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I am so thankful that God's Holy Spirit works with me....
to move from UNABLE TO ABLE to transition to transformation
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Do this each morning before getting out of bed and right before each meal (either aloud or in your mind).
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BE POOR IN SPIRIT - God, I empty out my spirit at Your feet today...this life is not about me... it's about You! Thank you for allowing me to be part of the kingdom of heaven!
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BE A MOURNER - God, I grieve over my sins and this lost world...AND weep with joyful thanksgiving over the grace, mercy, and salvation that You have extended to me.
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BE MEEK - God, take the reins, I give up the control to You... I choose to gently respond to Your lead. Thank You!
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JESUS IS ABLE! 

                           BLESSED! 

                                                  OH, THE JOY!