Welcome, friend! Thanks for joining me over a burger! Hope you're enjoying your Saturday. I've loved our theme song this week. It really sums up what we've been talking about this month - Jesus' first three Be-attiudes in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. His love for us is so amazing! Our response matters!
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BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN...
- Basically, the first step in becoming part of God's kingdom is by seeing ourselves in the right perspective. Life is not all about me! It's about God! Once that sobering reality begins to sink in and I realize my own sinfulness and what a mess I make of things on my own, then...
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BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED...
- Because I am poor in spirit I can cry out and say, "I'm sorry! I messed up! Will you forgive me?" Jesus stretches out His arms and says, "Of, course! That's why I died for you! You have confessed your sins...now you need to confess me as LORD. Then, you need to become part of My family so that your sins can be washed away. I want to lead you as shepherd and friend and live inside of you!"
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BLESSED ARE THE MEEK FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH...
- It's so important to have the willingness to be led! Meek does not mean weak! It means I've chosen to be wise and gentle ... not kicking and fighting all along the journey as God tries to lead me. If I will follow His lead, then His promise is true, "All things work together for those who love the LORD..."
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Using our theme song for this week, here are a few questions and answers, according to the Bible!
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QUESTION #1: The song says, "I'm forgiven because You were forsaken. I'm accepted. You were condemned." So how does that work?
ANSWER #1a: Jesus came to earth claiming to be the Son of God in the flesh. He was on a mission to reconnect people to God. It was hard! Yet, He lived a perfect (sinless) life. He knew that soon He would be tried, denied, and crucified. So, He told God as He prayed in the garden, "Not my will...but Yours!" Why did He have to be tried, denied, and crucified?
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ANSWER #1b: Jesus knew that He needed to die for us to show us His love for us and allow us to be forgiven. After all, His Father God created us! He put the plan in action based on love. Adam and Eve messed up! They broke God's rules, which is called sin. Everyone since then has sinned except for Jesus. God cannot stand sin! Sin seperates us from God! God's book, The Bible, says in...
- Hebrews 9:22, "...without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
- Acts 2:38-39 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. "
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QUESTION #2:
So, what happens when someone is "baptized" as a baby? Does that count?
ANSWER #2:
Had they sinned? Did they repent? By the verse above, it looks like a person must repent (change from their wicked ways) and then be baptized to receive God's forgiveness and Spirit. Examples of conversion to christianity in the Bible are of people who had sinned, became poor in spirit and mourned over their own sinfulness, knowing that they needed a Savior. God gives each an opportunity to know that there must be a Creator who has a plan for why we are here...
- John 3:1-19 "Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." "Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." ... ...14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
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QUESTION #3: Some people say that all you have to do is believe and pray Jesus into your heart to be saved. If that's the case, then why baptism?
ANSWER #3: Becoming a christian is a "heart matter"! I agree! Yet, much more than that, it's trusting and obeying the One who wants to save us with His amazing love! Jesus became poor in spirit (Not My will but Thine!), mourned (Father forgive them!), meek (It makes no earthly sense but I'm ready! Spirit, I want You to lead Me!)... He asks us to do the same and also be buried in water the way He was buried in the ground and then rise as He was risen to be born again!
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- I Peter 3:18-22 "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand-with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him."
Once I became a christian I was able to sing the rest of this song with confidence!
"I'm alive and well.Your Spirit is within me.
Because You died and rose again..
Amazing love! How can it be
That You, my King would die for me?
Amazing love! I know it's true.
It's my joy to honor You..
You are my King!
You are my King!
Jesus, You are my King!
Jesus, You are my King!
Amazing love!
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Last Sunday, I posted 2 videos with this week's theme song. Below is a video of another song that speaks to His LOVE SO AMAZING! Join me tomorrow as we continue learning to live the Be-Attitudes!
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