Day 30 : Living Blessed

TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

I choose TO BE.

I choose to have a

BE~ATITUDE,

because what is the other choice?

To have a MISER~TUDE.

Yup.

That is an actual WORD.

The opposite of BEATITUDE.

The BEATITUDES are about experiencing

THE BLESSINGS that take the word

MISERY out of TUDE,

when

FOLLOWING

JESUS,

HIS WORDS on

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT,

IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

How is it possible

to not take offense,

to not judge,

to love your enemies,

to love when you are being persecuted,

and

to do the right thing when you are being wronged?

There is only ONE way.

By RESPONDING LIKE JESUS?

And Paul tells us how.

Ready. Get Set. Go.

"I, _____________, know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times],

and I,_____________, also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity.

In any and every circumstance I, _____________, have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need.

 I, _____________, can do all things [which HE has called me to do] through HIM who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill HIS purpose—

I , ______________, am self-sufficient IN CHRIST'S sufficiency;

I, _____________, am ready for anything and equal to anything through HIM who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]"

(Philippians 4:12-13).

AMEN.

Only THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!

A we have been walking through the

SERMON ON THE MOUNT this month,

I don't want it to end.

I laugh at that statement,

because

JESUS never ends

because HIS WORDS are ALIVE in the

HERE & NOW,

because JESUS is ALIVE in the

HERE & NOW.

HIS WORDS from long ago,

have not only penetrated my heart so deeply,

but have led me to a place to where

I have experienced

THE GRACE OF GOD

in my heart,

because of how I fall so short,

even in my goodness.

"My" GOODNESS does not exist.

For all GOODNESS is from GOD.

GOD is so GOOD, 

that to look upon this sinner's heart

HE looks with

HIS GRACE,

 HIS BLESSINGS,

and HIS FAVOR,

for the GOOD in me is

JESUS.

And when GRACE hits your heart,

you just have to fall on your knees

and RECEIVE HIS WORDS

that are all wrapped in

FORGIVENESS.

A FORGIVENESS to RECEIVE and A FORGIVENESS to GIVE.

Isn't that what HIS SERMON on the MOUNT is truly about?

To prepare us all for when we leave the

MOUNTAINTOP of LISTENING to JESUS' WORDS

to enter the world

to PUT INTO PRACTICE HIS WORDS of FORGIVENESS.

For JESUS' WORDS are FOREVER,

as they never stop FILLING our HUNGRY HEARTS

for MORE of HIM,

because we

are the SALT of the earth and the LIGHT of the world,

as JESUS told us that in HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

But now we come down from the

MOUNTAIN

to do what HE INVITES us to do.

For AUGUST may be coming to an end,

but JESUS NEVER ENDS.

Therefore,

let's finish out this last weekend of

AUGUST

with a

BE~ATITUDE!

TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

No matter how you ANSWER this question,

"JESUS IS THE ANSWER"

(listen to the song below)

(listen to the song below)