Have
you ever felt like you are forgotten by God? That God's blessing
follows everyone around, but
EVEN FOR YOU!!!!!
(The
rest of the bible study follows the pattern of questions and answers,
first answer each question, by yourself, before you turn to the
answer)
Can
it be that you have a wrong perception of what it entitles to be
blessed?
Nowhere
in the Bible God promises no hardship, but rather that He will be
with us in the tough times. In beatitudes 8th and 9th
we read:
Those who are treated badly for doing good are happy, because the
kingdom of heaven belongs to them. "People will insult you and
hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you
because you follow me. But when they do, you will be happy. Rejoice
and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in
heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived
before you. (Matthew 5:10-12 The Message Bible)
Jesus
spells it out that for His sake we'll be treated badly. A Christian
attitude of love and meekness will always be misused, but Jesus says,
in the above text, that we should rejoice and be glad since our
reward/blessing is in heaven. Who wants a spectacular house in this
world, if you can have a mansion in heaven?
Do
you think the blessed of God will be high-spirited the whole time?
When
Jesus says
Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them! (Matthew 5:4
The Good News Translation)
He
encourages you to find comfort in God. When last have you poured out
your heart before God in tears, because of you sorrows? Someone once
said “tears are the spiritual windows of our souls”.
When
you pray the Lord's Prayer “Let thy Kingdom come”, what do you
expect?
Jesus
says
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for
they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6 NIV).
The
prayer of God's Kingdom should be for righteousness in your own life.
That will saturate your desires not to look over the fence to 'keep
up with the Joneses'. Keeping up with the Joneses will never fill
you, but rather suck you dry form inside.
Have
you ever considered that more people have less than you than more
than?
This
should motivate you to kindness towards the ones with less than you.
Happy are those who have mercy: for they will be given mercy.
(Matthew 5:7 The Bible in Basic English)
Mercy
is to do to others what they don't deserve. The tramp on the street
corner might not deserve anything, since he or she is too lazy to
work, but mercy should be when you anyway give him or her something.
Do
you confuse meekness with humbleness?
Jesus
says:
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
(Matthew 5:5 KJV).
Meekness
is the same word being used for a tamed animal. A tamed horse would
obediently take his owner into a fierce battle without shunting away.
So we should be like tamed animals in the hands of God, taking the
good and the bad God sends or allows our way (see The Complete Word
Study New Testament). The new heaven and new earth belongs to the
meek.
When
Jesus says that we have forsaken ourselves to follow Him, what does
He mean?
To
forsake ourselves is to do things for God, because God is God, and
not with the hidden agenda to actually do it for ourselves to earn
God's favour somehow. Jesus says:
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”.
(Matthew 5:8 RSV)
Purity
of heart is single mindedness – a single mind for God. This will
bring us into the throne room of God.
Does
it take guts to be a peacemaker?
Yes,
especially if the other part is actually on the wrong side and you
have to take the blame to bring the peace, but that is what a
Christian attitude is about. Many moms know that bringing peace
between the children is to through your life on the line. Jesus says:
Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called God's
children. (Matthew 5:9 GOD'S WORD Translation)
What
beatitude is missing?
"Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually
helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them”. (Matthew 5:3
GOD'S WORD Translation)
This
beatitude is actually the heading of all the others. All the other
beatitudes are only possible when we are in 100% need of God.
For a Prayer and Fasting Guide you can have a look at my Hub dealing with it.
For a Prayer and Fasting Guide you can have a look at my Hub dealing with it.
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