THE BLESSING

SUNDAY IN THE SON

The Blessing lyrics

as sung by John Waller

(who lost his mother suddenly this past week

at the same time his son was being born)

Let it be said of us
while we walked among the living
let it be said of us
by the ones we leave behind
let it be said of us
that we lived to be a blessing for life

let it be said of us
that we gave to reach the dying
let it be said of us
by the fruit we leave behind
let it be said of us

that our legacy is blessing for life

this day
you set life,

you set death right before us,

this day
every blessing and curse

is a choice now
and we will
choose to be a blessing for life

let it be said of us
that our hearts belonged to Jesus
let it be said of us
that we spoke the words of life
let it be said of us
that our heritage is blessing for life

(chorus)

for your Kingdom

for our Children

for the sake of every nation

~BLESSED~

MORE LIKE YOU... BLESSED, PERSECUTED, AND REJOICING FAMILY OF BELIEVERS...

In lieu of the previous posts of this week, I want to share 2 scriptures today to ENCOURAGE the Family of Believers to

REJOICE AS YOU ENDURE!

Matthew 5:10-12

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


1 Peter 5:8-10
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

~BLESSED~

MORE LIKE YOU.... ENDURING THE EXPERIENCES AND THE EMOTIONS THROUGH ENCOURAGEMENT....

As I sit at the computer this morning, I'm praying for some very specific mommies who God has put in my life. Each one has her own story of what brought her to Jesus. Each one can testify to the many hurdles they've had to jump and the mountains they've had to climb by faith. For several of them today is a very big day. It's yet another...
.

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

When I look at the butterfly transformation cycle, above, I wonder what would have happened to the butterfly if she would have given up at any one of the stages of transformation. If she could talk, we might hear her ready to give up as she says,

"This is impossible!"

"I can't do this!"

"I'm paralyzed!"

"This is way too complicated!"

"God has forgotten me!"

"I'm too exhausted to care anymore!"

"I'm so ugly!"

Oh, the enduring beauty we would have missed if that caterpillar had given up! In order to become a beautiful butterfly, a caterpillar must endure extreme experiences (circumstances).

I have friends who have E xperienced E xtreme circumstances that brought about a large range of E motions that. They came face to face as to whether or not to choose

E ndurance.

E ndurance may require the gamut of E xperiences and E motions on it's way to VICTORY. My friends, like the caterpillar, must patiently wait on the time and/or circumstances. There are many laws of nature and humankind that God, our Creator has put in motion. I'm sure many of those have been put in place to teach us patience and E ndurance.

In a similar, but different situation to the caterpillar, the cast sheep who is down and out can't get up without coming face to face with her Shepherd. It is The Good Shepherd who has the rod and staff that will flip His sheep back over and get her standing upright again.

I applaud my friends who are allowing God to hold them and transform them as they go through the storms of life!

Yesterday, I connected with each of these dear mommies, in different ways, and will continue to pray for their ENDURANCE:

...one mommy and her family are loading their moving truck to head half way across continent, by faith, to a "new land"... daddy has no job... their house here has not sold... today many will say, "This is not good-bye, just see you later..." ... they go with Jesus, who is omnipresent - THE GREAT I AM... THE WAY...

.

...multiple mommies are devastated that their dear friend (above) is moving away and taking their childrens' friends and playmates with her... they take solace in their christian family who are branches of THE VINE and followers of THE TRUE FRIEND...

.

...one mommy who has experienced a year of her own near death, birth of fourth son, husband's loss of job, beginning a new business, and the recent diagnosis of the 3rd son with PDD - Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Today, she is making a few very important phone calls... as she prays for wisdom, she does not know the obstacles that will be before her, or who will be her child's "teacher" but she knows Jesus. He is THE GOOD TEACHER... He is WISDOM...

... one mommy remains in a "safe house" because alcohol has stolen what she and her child once had... the new chapter in her life is frighteningly full of questions... her faith inspires me... she has turned to THE COUNSELOR and the DELIVERER...

...one mommy is facing a very difficult diagnosis, this week, as she tries to manage working full-time, finishing her degree online, and being the mommy to two very active little boys... she is so overwhelmed and exhausted that she often asks, "When will this end?" She has turned to Jesus, THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA (THE BEGINNING AND THE END) who is THE HEALER...

...one mommy has been devastated by the ongoing angry words and rejection of her own mommy... she hangs on to Jesus and His family as she prays for peace and kind words from THE PRINCE OF PEACE and THE WORD...

...one mommy is beginning a new chapter in her life after the deaths of her own mommy and multiple dear friends... she saw just yesterday that life will go on... Jesus is ABUNDANT LIFE... ETERNAL LIFE...

Oh, I could go on... but for these mommies I know that they are looking to Jesus to for ENDURANCE. Each day is full of EXPERIENCES and EMOTIONS that seem almost insurmountable. They can celebrate with mommy Cristi who knows a few things about those 3 E's. Today, is the 2nd anniversary of her daughter Lauren's heart transplant. All of the mommies above know Cristi's journey. Watching Cristi and her faith in Jesus has given them much

ENCOURAGEMENT to ENDURE...

They all choose Jesus! They choose the attitudes of Jesus that they are to BE... and they are BLESSED...

.

BLESSED are the poor in spirit....

BLESSED are those who mourn...

BLESSED are the meek...

BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...

BLESSED are the merciful...

BLESSED are the pure in heart...

BLESSED are the peacemakers...

BLESSED are those who are persecuted for righteousness...

BLESSED are those who rejoice...

.

His mercies are new every morning... a new season of life is ahead... just ask Cristi!

~BLESSED~

MORE LIKE YOU... BE-ATTITUDE...

Today's the day that we should be able to say Matthew 5:1-9 from memory. Try it in different ways below to see how you do.
.


MATTHEW 5:1-9 WHICH VERBS ARE MISSING?
"1 Now when Jesus _____ the crowds, He _____ up on a mountainside and ____ down. His disciples ______ to Him, 2 and He _______ to teach them. He _____: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs ____ the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they _____ ___ ____________. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they ____ ________ the earth. 6 Blessed ____ those who ________ and _______ for righteousness, for they ______ ___ __________. 7 Blessed ____ the merciful, for they _____ ____ ______ ______. 8 Blessed _____ the pure in heart, for they _____ _____God. 9 Blessed ____ the peacemakers, for they _____ _____ _________ children of God. 10 Blessed ____ those who ____ ____________ because of righteousness, for theirs ___ the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed ____ you when people ______ you, _________ you and falsely ____ all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 ________ and ___ _______, because great ___ your reward in heaven, for in the same way they ______________ the prophets who ________ before you. "

MATTHEW 5:1-9 WHICH NOUNS ARE MISSING?

"1 Now when __________ saw the _______, He went up on a _______________ and sat down. His _________________ came to Him, 2 and He began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the ____________ __ ___________. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see ____. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called __________ __ _____. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the _____________ ___ _________. 11 “Blessed are you when _________ insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of ____ against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your _________ in __________, for in the same way they persecuted the ___________ who were before you. "

MATTHEW 5:1-9 "1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 2 and He began to teach them. The Beatitudes He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "

~BLESSED~

MORE LIKE YOU...A PECULIAR PEOPLE...

I'm grateful, Jesus, for You patiently working with me to become more like You. This whole idea of "taking up my cross and following You" is certainly not for the faint of heart.

I realize that it isn't a one time thing, but a daily committment.


It seems that part of the reason this "walk" is hard, is because the world thinks it's peculiar... AND it seems so opposite to the common sense of the world. Yet, I am aware of Peter's words in 1 Peter 2:9:

But ye are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood,

an holy nation,

a peculiar people;

that ye should shew forth the praises of Him

who hath called you out of darkness

into His marvellous light...

.

The world says, "Be rich!"

You say, "Be poor..."

.
The world says, "Laugh... party..."

You say, "Mourn..."

.

The world says, "Meek is weak..."

You say, "When you are weak, you are strong..."

.

The world says, "Grab all you can..."

You say, "Hunger and thirst..."

.

The world says, "Do whatever it takes..."

You say, "Be pure..."

The world says, "Fight for what is yours..."

You say, "Live peacably..."

The world says, "Winner takes all..."

You say, "Blessed are the persecuted..."

.

.

The world says, "Live now..."

You say, "Die now,

so that you may have LIFE EVERLASTING."
.

You've made it clear how to be more like You.

You've made it clear how to live The Blessed Life.

Thank You, Jesus.

~BLESSED~

MORE LIKE YOU... OBEY. RIGHT AWAY. ALL THE WAY. IN A HAPPY WAY.

MEDITATION MONDAY

How can you and I be more like Jesus?

1. This year, on this blog, we've looked as the first part of Jesus' sermon on the mount. This section at the beginning of Matthew 5 is called "The Be-attitudes" - attitudes of Jesus to be. I encourage us to continue our journey of meditating on these attitudes for LIFE.

2. Yesterday, Dan encourged our church family to commit to becoming more and more "people of The Book" (The Bible). A person who is immersed in God's word will come face to face with Jesus Christ. It is only through obedient choice that you and I can learn from The Book how we can become MORE LIKE JESUS.

3. One of my FB friends posted the key words from the sermon he heard yesterday morning in Texas:

Obey. Right away. All the way. In a happy way.

Want to be MORE LIKE JESUS today? It certainly means taking on "His attitudes" as we walk in His shoes.

One of my favorite pics of our oldest grandaughter is this one:

Let's consider today how to walk the walk of Jesus!

Obey. Right away. All the way. In a happy way.

Poor in spirit...

Mourning over sin...

Meek / Gentle...

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness...

Merciful...

Pure in heart...

Peacemaker...

Rejoicing when persecuted for righteousness...

~BLESSED~

MORE LIKE YOU...

SUNDAY IN THE SON

MORE LIKE YOU

as sung by the Zoe Group



More like You!
Jesus, more like You!
Fill my heart with Your desire
to make me more like You.
Jesus, more like You!
Jesus, more like You.
Touch my lips with holy fire
and make me more like You.


LORD, You are my Mercy!
LORD, You are my Grace!
And all my deepest sins
have forever been erased.
Draw me in Your presence.
Lead me in Your ways.
I long to bring You glory
in righteousness and praise.

More like You!
Jesus, more like You!
Fill my heart with Your desire
to make me more like You!
Jesus, more like You!
Jesus, more like You!
Touch my lips with holy fire
and make me more like You!
Touch my lips with holy fire
and make me more like You!

~BLESSED~

REVELATION... What a family! What a Savior!

9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals, because You were slain,
and with Your blood You purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign[a] on the earth.”

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

~BLESSED~

REVELATION... TRANSFORMATION...

NOTE: I often teach about the brain, thinking, and intelligence. I did so today in one of my classes. I will not comment, other than to say that what you are about to read requires some TRANSFORMATIONAL THINKING.
.

~BLESSED~

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

.

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

REVELATION... CHRIST FOLLOWERS DO THE CROSS WALK....

I've often heard that the sign of a good book or article is to see if the first part and the last part have matching concepts - like matching bookends. Last Thursday, I shared what that looks like with the 66 books of the Bible. There are many matching concepts between the first book, Genesis, and the last book, Revelation. If you have not seen it, it would be worth your next few minutes to check it out HERE.


We've spent months on Christ's Be-attitudes. Yet, they do not stop with BLESSED are the peacemakers. Some say there are 8 beatitudes. Others claim there are 9. I'd like to look at it as if 8 & 9 are separate, yet extensions of each other. But, before you read them and begin practicing your memory work for today, please note the matching of the rewards of the first beatitude and the last beatitudes that I have put in bold:

Matthew 5
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

As you and I allow Jesus to live in us, around us, and through us...

life will not always be easy!

In fact, it will be a:

As we begin practicing these new verses to add to the old, spend time considering how you are allowing Jesus to permeate your spiritual DNA. Our desire should be for our walk to become clearer to those around us (less fuzzy) that we are followers of Jesus Christ, Son of God, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

When that happens, our lives might just look like these verses describe:

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you,

persecute you

and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

12 Rejoice and be glad,

because great is your reward in heaven,

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets

who were before you.

~BLESSED~

REVELATION... GRATEFUL FOR IRRITANTS...

~

Today,

I choose to be a NEW creation.

I choose to be thankful for irritants.

~

An irritant reveals my inner properties.

~

The trials that I go through,

reveal the mind of Christ in me

or the attitudes that I am to be...

~





~BLESSED~

.

REVELATION... THE GOOD NEWS IS NEW!

MEDITATION MONDAY

GOOD NEWs is NEW!

GOOD NEWs is NEW!

GOOD NEWs is NEW!

Last week my mind was stretched and my spirit re-newed as I listened to John Mark Hicks speak about the book of Revelation. I'll be spending time over the next days, weeks, years... pondering and meditating over new revelations about Revelation that I've come face to face with. I shared a few things with you last week, but today this is what I'm thinking of:

When I became a christian, I became a NEW creation. Jesus wants me to think like Him... have His attitude. Therefore, He begins His sermon on the mount with the BE-ATTITUDES. The Gospels spend some time talking about this NEW life, referring to it as the GOOD NEWS. Join me today as I look at some of the scriptures about the GOOD NEWS that leads me to the word NEW.

Matthew 4:23 - Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Matthew 4:24 - News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and He healed them.
Matthew 9:17 - "Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Matthew 9:26 - News of this spread through all that region.

Matthew 9:31 - But they went out and spread the news about Him all over that region.

Matthew 9:35 - Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Matthew 11:5 - The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

Matthew 15:52 - He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Matthew 26:29 - I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matthew 27:59-61 - Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

Mark 1:27 - The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey Him.”

Mark 2:21-22 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Luke 22:19-21 - And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray Me is with Mine on the table.

John 13:33-35 - “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

John 19:40-42 - Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Revelation 2:17 - Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Revelation 3:12 - The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of My God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My God; and I will also write on them My new name.

Revelation 5:9 - And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Revelation 14:3 - And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

Revelation 21:1 - Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

Revelation 21:2 - I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Revelation 21:5 - He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:8-10 - But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” 9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And He carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, (the new) Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.

~BLESSED~

REVELATION

REVELATION SONG

as sung by Phillips, Craig, and Dean

Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
[Repeat 2x]

(Chorus)
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You!
Yeah!

Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King,
Yeah

(Chorus)

Filled with wonder,
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery
Yeah...

(Chorus)

Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come,
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I - will - adore YOU

(Chorus)

~BLESSED~

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST... PASS IT ON...

I spoke of my mentor and friend this week on GratiTuesday. She was my Granny! Yes, God made us family two ways. First, she was the mother of my mother - my maternal grandmother. Second, she was my big sister in Christ. I saw the Be-attitudes of Jesus in her:


1. She understood who she was in the family of God and humbly submitted to the One who was in control. BLESSED are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.


2. She knew of her sinfulness and would say to me that there were things she wished she would have not done or done differently. BLESSED are those who mourn for they will be comforted.


3. She was a strong women who gave the reins of her life to God and let Him lead her and her children in a daily walk with Jesus, even though her husband (my grandfather) chose not to walk that walk during the child raising years. BLESSED are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.


4. She wanted to know what was right in God's eyes, so she studied her Bible with the desire to obey what she learned. BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

5. She had the reputation as the "chicken soup lady" who adopted her neighborhood as her responsibility. When families were sick or had challenges, she'd show up at their door to help AND bring with her a pot of chicken soup. BLESSED are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

6. She had intentions that were pure, yet she oftened rubbed people the wrong way. She was known for "telling it like she saw it". She often saw a situation as black and white or right and wrong. God knew her heart. BLESSED are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

7. She desired for all mankind to make peace with their God. Her life was lived in such a way that neighbors became christians as well as her husband (after she had raised 3 kids in the LORD and had grandchildren). BLESSED are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

~BLESSED~

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST... HIS-STORY...

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

Are you aware that Jesus was present at creation? Have you wrapped your mind around the fact that Jesus is God? Did you know that the Bible is the inspired word of God that tells...

His - Story

GENESIS and REVELATION

The Bible is a library of 66 books that tell One Story.
The last part of the 66th book, Revelation,
connects the reader with

the first part of the 1st book, Genesis.

1. The First Words in Genesis 1:1 –

“In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.”

Almost the Last Words in Revelation 23:1 –

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth.”

2. “The gathering together of the waters He called the Sea.” Gen 1:10

“And the Sea is no more.” Rev. 21:1

3. “The Darkness He called night.” Gen. 1:5

“There shall be no night there.” Rev. 21:25

4. “God made the two great lights.” Gen. 1:16

“The city had no need of the sun nor the moon…” Rev. 21:23

5. “In the day you sat thereof you shall surely die.” Gen. 2:17

“Death shall be no more.” Rev. 21:4

6. “I will greatly multiply your pain.” Gen. 3:16

“Neither shall there be pain anymore.” Rev. 21:4

7. “Cursed is the ground for your sake.” Gen. 3:17

“There shall be no more curse.” Rev. 22:3

8. Satan appears as deceiver of mankind. Gen. 3: 1, 4

Satan tormented forever. Rev. 20:10

9. The Tree of Life. Gen. 3:22-24

The Tree of Life. Rev. 22:2

10. They were driven from God’s presence. Gen. 3:24

“They shall see His face.” Rev. 22:4

11. Man’s first home was by a river. Gen 2:10

Man’s eternal home will be beside a river. Rev. 22:1

Beyond the fact that the first and last books of the Bible "match", the Bible is full of transforming connections as the golden thread of His-story weaves through all 66 books. I was reminded of this again last night as we studied more in the book of Revelation with our teacher, John Mark Hicks. For the first time I noted connections between the Be-attitudes (in Matthew 5) and the last part of Revelation. Here are just a few of those connections:

Revelation 21 -

heaven... wipes away every tear...

thirst no more... God's son...

Revelation 22 -

Blessed... righteous...

reward.... thirst no more...

~BLESSED~

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST... TAKING ON HIS ATTITUDE...

This week, I've heard John Mark Hicks speak on the book of Revelation at our Vacation Bible School. I rate it an E!

~ An E for Excellent~

~ An E for Encouraging~

~An E for Enriching~

~An E for Epiphany~

~An E for Empowering~

~ An E for Eternal~

You can look at my posts from Monday and Tuesday to make some connections to John Mark's lessons from Revelation. I'll post more on Transforming Thursday.

How are you doing at memorizing the first 7 "Be-attitudes"? I hope the memory hooks above have been helpful. Here's a little exercise for you to review. May you immerse yourself in the WORD today as you focus on these attitudes of Christ.

1. Who are those who are comforted?

2. Who will receive mercy?

3. Who owns the kingdom of heaven?

4. Who are the children of God?

5. Who will be filled?

6. Who will see God?

7. Who will inherit the earth?

MATTHEW 5:1-9 "1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 2 and He began to teach them. The Beatitudes He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

~BLESSED~

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST... AROUND THE THRONE...

I love July 12! It's such a special day for me. These days it's a day of much reflection. Where have I come from? Where am I going?

If my Granny was alive, she would be 103 years old today. It's been 8 years since she left this earth. Yet, not too many days go by without me thinking of Viola Sophia LaRose Carron. What a lady! She was my model, my mentor, and my friend. From Granny, I learned persistence, endurance, scripture, music, and independent thinking. From Granny, I learned that nothing mattered except for Jesus and taking on "the mind of Christ." I'd like to share this Friday how she emulated the Be-attitudes for me.

Last night our VBS speaker, John Mark Hicks, took us back to the throne room as we looked once again at the last book of the Bible - Revelation. Yet, before he was through for the evening, he asked us to visit the book of Hebrews with him and let it be our tour guide to Mt. Zion. It was a chill bumper!

I was surrounded, in our auditorium, by friends who have lost loved ones - who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb. There were tears of grief and joy as we listened to these words and visualized who was around God's throne.

Hebrews 12:22-25
22 "But you have come to Mount Zion,

to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.

You have come:

~to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,

~to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven...

~to God, the Judge of all,

~to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

~to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant,

~to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

I am so thankful that my Granny chose to take up her cross and follow Jesus! She has overcome by the blood of the Lamb. I can so visualize her at Mt. Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Thank You, Jesus!

~BLESSED~

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST... HE WHO OVERCOMES...

MEDITATION MONDAY

Yesterday morning during our church family worship service, we sang the song, I am Mine No More. The words are so intertwined with our theme song this week. As I sang with my brothers and sisters in Christ, there was a united sense of purpose... we belong to You, Jesus!

I Am Mine No More

I am mine no more
I am mine no more
I’ve been bought with blood
I am mine no more

Jesus is my Lord
Jesus is my Lord
and He rules my life
Jesus is my Lord

He will come again
He will come again
and He’ll take me home
He will come again

As we prepared our minds for communion, took communion together, focused on Jesus, and sang some more, it was all connecting with our guest speaker's topic for the week: REVELATION. We sang HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

The words to this song are full of concepts and words from the Be-attitudes. Jesus wants to influence us... to walk with us... to live inside us... That is how we overcome!

Our speaker began by saying, "Revelation is a book we either avoid or exploit. Let's use it to HEAR what the Spirit of God has to say to us."

He reminded us that the setting of the book is in a tumultuous time. John is in exile on an island away from his beloved church community and they are cut off from him, too. He is one of their leaders, an elder, an encourager, a friend... The policy of the time was basically that anytime anyone met up with a christian, they were to kill the christian.

It is during this time, of christian exile and martyrdom, that Jesus appears to John. John is able to look into the throne room and see the faithfulness of God who STILL sits on the throne (no matter how tough the times). John sees the sun... a rainbow... the throne... Around the throne are 4 living creatures... 24 elders are there representing the redeemed of God as they sit around the throne. Their attention is on God: HOLY! HOLY! HOLY!

One of the elders had something to say about overcoming in Revelation 5:5. In fact, Revelation has a whole lot to say about the Lion who overcame as a Lamb. He overcame not by power but as a Lamb who was slain...

Revelation 2:7





He who has an ear,




let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.




To him who overcomes,




I will grant to eat of the tree of life




which is in the Paradise of God.’








Revelation 2:11




He who has an ear,




let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.





He who overcomes




will not be hurt by the second death.’











Revelation 2:17





He who has an ear,




let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.





To him who overcomes,




to him I will give some of the hidden manna,




and I will give him a white stone,




and a new name written on the stone




which no one knows but he who receives it.’








Revelation 2:26






He who overcomes,





and he who keeps My deeds until the end,





TO HIM I WILL GIVE




AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS...









Revelation 3:5

He who overcomes




will thus be clothed in white garments;





and I will not erase his name from the book of life,





and I will confess his name before My Father





and before His angels.








Revelation 3:12





He who overcomes,




I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God,





and he will not go out from it anymore;





and I will write on him the name of My God,





and the name of the city of My God,




the new Jerusalem,




which comes down out of heaven from My God,





and My new name.












Revelation 3:21




He who overcomes,





I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne,





as I also overcame





and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 5:5





...and one of the elders said to me,





“Stop weeping; behold,





the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah,





the Root of David,





has overcome





so as to open the book and its seven seals.”












Revelation 13:7







It was also given to Him




to make war with the saints




and to overcome them,




and authority over




every tribe and people and tongue and nation




was given to Him.







Revelation 17:14





[ Victory for the Lamb ]

These will wage war against the Lamb,





and the Lamb will overcome them,





because He is Lord of lords and King of kings,





and those who are with Him





are the called and chosen and faithful.”












Revelation 21:7





He who overcomes




will inherit these things,




and I will be his God




and he will be My son.










~BLESSED~

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST...

SUNDAY IN THE SON


CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST Lyrics
as sung by Phillips, Craig, and Dean

When I look back on what I thought was living
I'm amazed at the price I choose to pay
And to think I ignored what really mattered
Cause I thought the sacrifice would be too great

When I finally reached the point of giving in
I found the cross was calling even then
And even though it took dying to survive
I've never felt so much alive.

Chorus
For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live
Not I but Christ that lives within me
His Cross will never ask for more than I can give
For its not my strength but His
There's no greater sacrifice
For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

As I hear the Savior call for daily dying
I will bow beneath the weight of Calvary
Let my hands surrender to His piercing purpose
That holds me to the cross but sets me free

I will glory in the power of the cross
The things I thought were gain I count as loss
And with His suffering I identify
And by His resurrection power I am alive

Chorus

Bridge
And I will offer all I have
So that His cross is not in vain
For I found to live is Christ
And to die is truly gain

~BLESSED~

LET FREEDOM RING... TO SHINE THE ATTITUDE OF JESUS CHRIST...

You've most probably either heard me say or read something that I've written about my Christ-like church family. I love their hearts! I specifically am thinking of some young transformed moms, who in the past week have shone these specific attitudes of Christ to me. These are characteristics that don't necessarily come naturally for each of them. Yet, in their desire to be like Jesus, they shine! Thanks, ladies for brightening my week! I'm so thankful that we have the sweet freedom to meet together weekly for worship and fellowship.

BLESSED are the poor in spirit...

...thank you, Marlene.

BLESSED are those who mourn...

...thank you, Lori.

BLESSED are the meek...

...thank you, Melody.

BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...

...thank you, Kelly.

BLESSED are the merciful...

...thank you, Mandy.

BLESSED are the pure in heart...

...thank you, Kristy.

BLESSED are the peacemakers...

...thank you, Brenda.

And, of course, this is just a sampling of how my sisters in Christ shine. Each week... sisters shining...

.

~BLESSED~

LET FREEDOM RING... FREE TO BE-ATTITUDE...

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

Last Thursday, I posted some picture hooks to help you memorize Christ's Be-attitudes from His sermon on the mount. It's imperative that we go deeper than that to comprehend the heart of what He is saying. There are 9 Be-attitudes. The last 2 we'll begin discussing soon. For now, I've also posted the picture hooks at the top of the blog for easy reference. Read below. Connect what you're reading to the picture hooks above. Let the riches of a deeper understanding of these important concepts sink deep within your soul.

1

“Blessed are the
POOR
IN
SPIRIT”

Bow head to show humility.

You are showing God

that it is His Spirit who

is most important,

not you.

You honor Him as God and submit to Him.

****************************************

2

“Blessed are those who
MOURN”


Shed tears of sorrow over sin.



You cry and repent over

your sins

and the sins of others.
********************************

3

“Blessed are the
MEEK”

‘Meek’ rhymes with ‘cheek’.

Your figure touches your cheek,

which instantly gives you a bright idea:

Meek means “power under control”.

You are like a spirited horse

under the control of the Master--

think of how a horse

is controlled by bridle/reins.
********************************

4
“Blessed are those who
HUNGER
AND
THIRST
FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS”

Eating and drinking.

You have a daily desire

to seek God’s will in your life

as He daily teaches you to live more like Jesus.

You crave for spiritual nourishment

like you crave for food.

*******************************

5

“Blessed are the
MERCIFUL”


An arm around another's shoulder.


You can show

love,grace, forgiveness, and mercy

to others as God has shown it to you.
****************************************

6

“Blessed are the
PURE
IN
HEART”

Hand over heart.



You have a genuine spirit who desires holiness

without underlying motives or hypocrisy.
********************************************

7

“Blessed are
the
PEACEMAKERS”



Shaking hands.

You are able to be the first

to extend a hand to make peace

(not compromising God’s will)

to bring others

closer to God..

********************************

~BLESSED~