JESUS GAVE HER WATER

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

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Last night I began wearing a purple wrist band from our teen group at church. It has this on it:

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31556926

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Jesus is Worthy!

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That's how many seconds there are in a year. I choose to live those seconds for Jesus because, not only is He worthy, but He is my LIVING WATER-

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As we end this month, our memory verses remind us what those 31,556,926 seconds should be about.

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IT'S JESUS I SEEK:

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1 O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You;

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FOR JESUS I THIRST / I LONG:

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my soul thirsts for You,

my body longs for You,

in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

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IT'S JESUS I BEHOLD:

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2 I have seen You in the sanctuary

and beheld Your power and Your glory.

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IT'S JESUS I GLORIFY:

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3 Because Your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify You.

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IT'S JESUS I PRAISE:

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4 I will praise You as long as I live,

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IT'S JESUS I LIFT:

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and in Your name I will lift up my hands.

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WITH JESUS I'M SATISFIED: .

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5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

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IT'S JESUS I PRAISE:

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with singing lips my mouth will praise You.

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IT'S JESUS I REMEMBER: .

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6 On my bed I remember You;

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LIKE JESUS I THINK:

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I think of You through the watches of the night.

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TO JESUS AND WITH JESUS I SING:

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7 Because You are my help,

I sing in the shadow of Your wings.

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TO JESUS I CLING:

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8 My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me.

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BECAUSE OF JESUS...

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~I'M BLESSED~

Blessed are those

who hunger and thirst

for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

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JESUS GAVE HER WATER...

Psalms 63:1-8

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MY GOD, IT IS FOR YOU...

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I SEEK:

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1 O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You;

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I THIRST / I LONG:

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my soul thirsts for You,

my body longs for You,

in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

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I BEHOLD:

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2 I have seen You in the sanctuary

and beheld Your power and Your glory.

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I GLORIFY:

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3 Because Your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify You.

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I PRAISE:

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4 I will praise You as long as I live,

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I LIFT:

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and in Your name I will lift up my hands.

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I'M SATISFIED: .

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5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

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I PRAISE:

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with singing lips my mouth will praise You.

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I REMEMBER: .

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6 On my bed I remember You;

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I THINK:

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I think of You through the watches of the night.

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I SING:

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7 Because You are my help,

I sing in the shadow of Your wings.

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I CLING:

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8 My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me.

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Psalms 63:1-8

MY GOD, IT IS FOR YOU...

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. I SEEK:

1 O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You;

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I THIRST / I LONG:

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my soul thirsts for You,

my body longs for You,

in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

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I BEHOLD:

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2 I have seen You in the sanctuary

and beheld Your power and Your glory.

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I GLORIFY:

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3 Because Your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify You.

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I PRAISE:

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4 I will praise You as long as I live,

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I LIFT:

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and in Your name I will lift up my hands.

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I'M SATISFIED:

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5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

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I PRAISE:

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with singing lips my mouth will praise You.

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I REMEMBER:

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6 On my bed I remember You;

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I THINK:

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I think of You through the watches of the night.

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I SING: .

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7 Because You are my help,

I sing in the shadow of Your wings.

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I CLING:

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8 My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me.

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~I'M BLESSED~

JESUS GAVE HER WATER...

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My family often tires of hearing my remarks about the importance of water. Water is, in fact, crucial for your health! Every system in your body depends on water. Water makes up about 60% of a person's body weight.

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Dear LORD,

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Today I am so thankful for the blessing of water.

You make it available to all of us to

meet our needs both physically and spiritually.

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With Gratitude,

Patti

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DON'T MEET MY DAILY WATER NEEDS?

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A condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry on it's normal functions is dehydration. Researchers say that even mild dehydration can zap your energy and make you tired. Dehydration also poses certain health risks. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include:

Excessive thirst

Fatigue

Headache

Dry mouth

Little or no urination

Muscle weakness

Dizziness

Lightheadedness

HOW MUCH WATER DO I NEED?

. Replacement approach: The average urine output for adults is 1.5 liters a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Certain foods account for 20 percent of your fluid intake, so from a minimalists perspective, if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups), along with your normal diet, you can replace the lost fluids. It's called the "8 x 8 rule" - drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters).

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Dietary recommendations: The Institute of Medicine recommends that

--men consume 3 liters (about 13 cups)

--women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. These guidelines are based on national food surveys that assessed people's average fluid intakes.

I attended a health and wellness conference a few years ago in Nashville, TN at the Opryland Hotel. The researchers there were even more specific:

To meet the differentiated needs of individuals,

each person should weigh themselves

and divide that weight in half.

The number of ounces

that person would need to drink daily

would be half of his/her

body weight in ounces.

Maximum intake suggested: 125 ounces.

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Example: If I weigh 200 pounds, then I should drink half my body weight in ounces (100 ounces).

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WHEN ARE TIMES THAT I NEED MORE WATER?

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Higher Physical Activity: exercise; hard physical labor

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Environmental challenges: hot/humid weather; cold/frigid weather; Heated, indoor air; Altitudes greater than 8,200 ft.; Allergens/toxins

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Illnesses or health conditions: fever; vomiting; diarrhea; infections; urinary tract stones; allergies;

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Pregnant or breast-feeding: The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (nearly 10 cups) of fluids a day and women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.

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HOW CAN MY WATER NEEDS BE MET?

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Beyond the tap: Many sources of water You don't need to sip from your water bottle all day to satisfy your fluid needs. Your diet, including the beverages you drink, can provide a large portion of what you need. In an average adult diet, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. The remaining 80 percent comes from beverages of all kinds (no caffeine, though).

Fruits

Vegetables

Milk

Juice

Other non-caffeinated beverages

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1. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DON'T MEET MY DAILY LIVING WATER NEEDS?

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2. HOW MUCH LIVING WATER DO I NEED?

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3. WHEN ARE TIMES THAT I NEED MORE LIVING WATER?

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4. HOW CAN MY LIVING WATER NEEDS BE MET?

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I am so grateful that it is JESUS CHRIST who is the LIVING WATER.

I am so grateful that it is JESUS CHRIST who can answer all 4 of those questions.

Let's talk about the answers later this week!

~BLESSED~

JESUS GAVE HER WATER... LIVING WATER...

MEDITATION MONDAY

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Our beattitude, for the month, from Matthew 5:6 says,

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"Blessed are those who

hunger and thirst

for righteousness,

for they will be filled."

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In John 6, Jesus says in verse 47-48,

"I tell you the truth,

he who believes has everlasting life.

I am the bread of life."

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In John 4, Jesus is standing at a well in Samaria talking to a Samaritan woman. She asks Jesus, "Where can You get this LIVING WATER?" Jesus replies,

"Everyone who drinks this water

will be thirsty again,

but whoever drinks the water I give him

will never thirst.

Indeed, the water I give him

will become in him

a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

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Last week, we said that our righteousness is not our own...

Jesus is OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

John 4 & 6 tell us that...

Jesus is the LIVING BREAD.

Jesus is the LIVING WATER.

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With this in mind, let's look at our beattitude for the month again. With confidence I can say that it is Jesus who fills us up. It is Jesus who gives us His righteousness to continually cleanse us from our sins.

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I shared on Saturday about a group of KINGDOM SEEKERS. It happened again yesterday! Another young KINGDOM SEEKER said to a large group of people, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

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She, at a very young age, is a student of the Bible - God's word. In reading and studying scripture, she learned that she needed to:

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  keep coming to God's word to understand God's WORD.


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  come to the water... to get the LIVING WATER in her life.

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It's like in Acts 8 when Philip was reading scripture from the prophets and a man, referred to as "the eunuch", asked Philip,

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"Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about,

himself or someone else?"

Then Philip began with that

very passage of Scripture

and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road,

they came to some water and the eunuch said,

"Look, here is water.

Why shouldn't I be baptized?"

And he gave orders to stop the chariot.

Then both Philip and the eunuch

went down into the water

and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water,

the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,

and the eunuch did not see him again,

but went on his way rejoicing."

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Yesterday, this young lady who had read from the scriptures was convicted to be buried in baptism with Jesus because of her faith in Jesus Christ. She knows that it is only He who is her Savior and LORD. . .

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~BLESSED~

JESUS GAVE HER WATER

Acappella / Better Than Life

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He Gave Her Water

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Chorus:

Oh, Jesus, He gave her water

You know my Jesus gave her water

Oh, Jesus gave her water

And it was not from the well

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Repeat Chorus

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Well, there was a woman from Samaria

She came to the well to get some water

It was there she met a stranger

And He did her story tell.

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She left my Savior singing.

She came back to Him bringing.

The time she had water

And it was not from the well.

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Repeat Chorus

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Well on that woman He had pity

She ran back to the city

Crying, "Glory! Hallelujah!"

I'm gonna let His praises swell

Every time she'd doubt Him

She'd stop and think about Him

The man who gave her that LIVING LASTING WATER

And it was not from the well.

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Oh, gave her water

Jesus gave her water

Oh, Jesus,He gave her water

I'm gonna let His praises swell

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Jesus gave that woman water

He gave her that LIVING LASTING WATER

Oh.... water... and it was not from the well

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Oh, gave her water

Jesus gave her water

Oh, Jesus, He gave her wate

I'm gonna let His praises swell

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Jesus gave that woman water

He gave her that LIVING LASTING WATER

Oh... water... and it as not from the well.

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~BLESSED~

LORD, I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU... KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS SEEKER... TRANSFORMED...

KETCHUP AND MUSTARD SATURDAY

Catch Up and Must Do

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We've been in our new church building for a month. Before it was even ready, it was being used to glorify God. There is nothing sacred about this building except that it was built with money given to the LORD and for His purposes.
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It has been built as a place for KINGDOM SEEKERS to gather together to encourage one another in our transformation to become like Jesus.
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Today, we will host a leadership conference in this place. Purpose? To encourage each other to lead others to becoming more like Jesus.
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I'm thinking of four specific families who have pursued and are pursuing Jesus transformation. In so doing, these daddies and mommies have children who are saying, "Daddy and Mommy, I see Jesus in you! I want to be just like you!"
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These parents have taken their leadership roles seriously. These children have become KINGDOM SEEKERS because their daddies and mommies are KINGDOM SEEKERS.
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May we be inspired by these scriptures and these photos:

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Matthew 5:3

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"Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the KINGDOM of heaven.

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Matthew 5:44

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"Blessed are those who mourn

(over their own sin &

the sins of others),

for they will be comforted."

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Matthew 5:5

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"Blessed are the meek

(those who are ready &

willing to be Holy Spirit led),

for they will inherit the earth."

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Matthew 5:6
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"Blessed
are those who
hunger and thirst
for righteousness,
for they will be filled."

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Matthew 6:33
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"But seek first
HIS KINGDOM
and
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
and
all these things
will be given to you as well."

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HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (Forgiven! Saved!)

HIS KINGDOM (Forgiven, Saved, Forever Family!)

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~BLESSED~

LORD, I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU... YOU ARE MY RIGHTEOUSNESS...

Matthew 5:6

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Blessed are those who

hunger

and

thirst

for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

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We can all relate to being hungry or thirsty. Jesus uses this simple connection to encourage us that our hungering and thirsting for righteousness is similar to hungering and thirsting for food and drink. After searching the scriptures I see that Isaiah and Jesus set us straight about righteousness:

• Isaiah 64:66 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;we all shrivel up like a leaf,and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
• Matthew 5:19-20 "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

Isaiah and Jesus make it sound really hard. So what then is this righteousness that we should hunger and thirst for?

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Looking more closely, we find that it is Jesus who is OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

• 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 "...you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

• Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNES (Jesus), for they will be filled."

What about before the New Testament?

• Galatians 3:6 says, "Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

BOTTOM LINE?

We are all broken and messed up sinners in need of cleaning up our act... making things right... in need of Righteousness... in need of a Savior. So, why do we judge each other within the family of God? None of us are righteous! When you point a finger at me, you are pointing 3 back at yourself.

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Join me today, in focusing on Jesus.

• Have God put a song on your heart, like I talked about yesterday.
• Write one of these scriptures down on a card and memorize it throughout the day.
• Talk to God outloud... silently... Just communicate with your Father!
• Be Jesus' hands and feet today - SERVE!

JESUS, I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU...

I'M HUNGERING AND THIRSTY FOR YOU...

BECAUSE YOU ARE MY RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Matthew 6:33-34

"But seek first

His kingdom

and

His righteousness,

and all these things

will be given to you as well."

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~BLESSED~

LORD, I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU... PUT A SONG ON MY HEART...

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

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Our scripture focus for yesterday says,

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Because You are my help,

I sing in the shadow of Your wings.

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Have you ever asked God to put a song on your heart? When I've been singing praises to Him -my life just goes better!

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I travel throughout the southern part of our state supervising student teachers. The CD player in my car is on the blink and I'm not techy enough to remember my Ipod each day. I've noticed that on the days that I talk to God, as I'm driving, that those days go okay, but I tend to get a somewhat negative with my prayers.

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If I pray and then ask God to put a song on my heart, those days just go better. I've been making an attempt to not shuffle through all the songs that I know. I just wait on Him. I automatically go throughout each week singing our blog theme song. Yet, the song that God often puts on my heart comes from years ago... even as far back as my childhood.

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Yesterday, it was:

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,

Face to face—what will it be?

When with rapture I behold Him,

Jesus Christ who died for me.

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Face to face I shall behold Him,

Far beyond the starry sky;

Face to face in all His glory,

I shall see Him by and by!

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Only faintly now, I see Him,

With the darkling veil between,

But a blessed day is coming,

When His glory shall be seen.

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What rejoicing in His presence,

When are banished grief and pain;

When the crooked ways are straightened,

And the dark things shall be plain.
Face to face! O blissful moment!

Face to face—to see and know;

Face to face with my Redeemer,

Jesus Christ who loves me so.

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God created us to have a song in our heart. Lately, I often find myself singing this one as I travel down the road:

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There's within my heart a melody

Jesus whispers sweet and low:

Fear not, I am with thee,

peace, be still,

in all of life's ebb and flow.

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Refrain:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

sweetest name I know,

fills my every longing,

keeps me singing as I go.

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Which song will you allow God to place on your heart today?

Jesus, I want to be just like You!

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Please put a song on my heart today.

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~BLESSED~