Tag: Blessed

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Living the #blessed life.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus’ most famous sermon, the one he not only lived but spoke about everywhere he went, describes a very different life for us to try to live out today. It is super antithetical to our culture in the U.S. He gives us a loss list, one that we are to not only look for but emulate and celebrate.

God blesses those who: are poor and realize their need for him, humble, hunger and thirst for justice, merciful, whose hearts are pure, who work for peace, who are persecuted for doing right.

These character and attitude traits yield favor from God and each come with their own unique benefit: the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs, comfort, inherit the earth, satisfied, be shown mercy, they will see God, they will be called the children of God.

In this world, in this culture, these attributes are almost completely shunned and let’s be honest, people would see this kind of lifestyle as reserved for losers – not winners! Yet Christ continuously warns us that the Kingdom of God is not anything like the kingdom of this earth. The kingdom of this earth is run by sin-fractured souls in cooperation with the prince of darkness, the Slanderer himself.

Jesus drops a sober reminder, the ancient prophets (spokespersons) were persecuted in the same way. It is very anti-social to live the loss list that Jesus recommends for the BLESSED life. I just don’t see that hashtag on TikTok or Reels reflecting Jesus #1 sermon.

Prayer

Dad,
Whew. I struggle with feeling successful or even righteous living your loss list. To be poor, humble, working for peace and persecuted for doing right? These are ideals I try to stay away from because of the deep heartache and turmoil they seem to bring. Living this loss list would force me to long for the Kingdom of heaven to arrive and accomplish your will far faster that I do now. I’d be overwhelmed trying to live out even one of these qualities, let alone all seven of them. Oh God, I need you to help me see what you see and live towards your ways and not my own. This changes how I view the “blessed” life for sure.

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Simply BELIEVE.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus was tempted, went home for a bit, then headed to Galilee, fulfilling another one of Isaiah’s (Isa 9:1-2) prophetic words about the messiah. Matthew was tracking his movements.

Then he immediately began his mission, preaching repentance and the coming Kingdom of God. But Jesus did not do this alone, he quickly enlisted a team around him. Four fishermen (Peter, Andrew, Big James and John) right there on the shores of Galilee. The rest of the twelve, Thomas, Nathaniel and Philip may have also worked as fishermen. Matthew was a tax collector, a Jewish sell-out working for Rome. Simon was a revolutionary, maybe a secret political terrorist of sorts. Judas may have been an accountant, but was know for thievery (John said he stole from their own ministry account Jn 12:6) and little James and Jude (no occupation mentioned).

The point is, Jesus specifically went after twelve. It is said that 70 followed, 12 were discipled but only 3 were mentored. Jesus spent a lot of time with the 12, but pulled the 3 aside to reveal/expose to them the heart and mission of what He was called to do. They were eye witnesses and STILL had doubts, fears and struggles. They lived with, ate with, travelled with Jesus and still had difficulty reconciling their faith with what they were experiencing! The twelve were first experiencers and responders and doubters all at the same time.

Jesus said something profound to Thomas AFTER his resurrection, after coming back from the dead. Thomas watched Jesus live, watched him die and physically stood in front of him after his resurrection and was forever tagged with the nickname, “the doubter!” Are you kidding, every single one of those who gathered after the resurrection were doubters until they saw Jesus with their own eyes! Jesus told Thomas the shocking truth. Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John‬ ‭20‬:‭29‬. That’s us folks! We are the believers WITHOUT seeing what Jesus closest friends and family experienced. Why? Because in very much God’s way, he has come to each one of us as individuals and called us out – out of darkness into light. Out of slavery into freedom. Out of professions and a past into a purpose and a task. We have seen because Jesus has shown himself to us and we believe and declare just like Thomas and the others, “my Lord and my God!” It is by faith we believe and we are happy (blessed) because of it. Come in closer than the seventy. Come in closer still, more than than the twelve. Come into to be mentored by Jesus and let him reveal and expose his mission to you and through you!

Prayer

Dad,
I believe. I am blessed because I have not physically stood before Jesus and thrust my hands in his hands and side. I am blessed because you made yourself real to me and that experience changed me forever. That moment is undeniable. I don’t care what happens in all the nonsense of religiosity and polity of Church. I don’t care about the controversies surrounding the famous platform pastors and the heresy wars among the christian elite. I don’t care about the cultural lies and subterfuge suppression of truth. I know what I know because you showed yourself to me, bid me to come, called me to your mission and I BELIEVE!