BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL - SUNDAY IN THE SON

 Today, we continue our look at the beatitudes of Jesus.  Our primary focus, of the next 2 weeks, will be the fifth beatitude. 

A look at Jesus and His words, in Matthew 5, via the New American Standard Version of the Bible:

"When Jesus saw the crowds,

He went up on the mountain;

and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

² He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

^3 'Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴  Blessed are those who mourn,

for they shall be comforted.

⁵  Blessed are the gentle,

for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they shall be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful,

for they shall receive mercy...'"

There is only One, who can teach us how to be merciful.  He is the Healer...

the wounded Healer...

He is Jesus, Friend of sinners:

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS... KETCHUP AND MUSTARD SATURDAY

It's a Ketchup (Catch-up) and Mustard (Must Do) Saturday! 

When a ketchup bottle gets squeezed, ketchup comes out.

When a mustard bottle gets squeezed, mustard comes out.

When a christian gets squeezed, what should come out?

MUST DO?

So, are you one of those who are trying to wrap your mind around my Thursday challenge:  "America, Bless God"?

During our children's growing up years, when they would leave the house, my words were often, "I love you!  Be a blessing!"  Those words could have been interpreted,

"I love you!  Do what Jesus would do!"

Of course, my purpose of my current blog posts is to encourage readers to live by Jesus' words in His sermon on the mount.  If we live out the beatitudes, our lives will be blessed.  In the same way, we are living like Jesus - blessing God and His kingdom. 

Some scripture references to consider about "Blessing God" include:

Psalm 16:7-8

"I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.⁸ I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

Psalm 34:1-3

"I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.² My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
³ O magnify the Lord with meAnd let us exalt His name together."

Psalm 103

"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,And forget none of His benefits;
³ Who pardons all your iniquities,Who heals all your diseases;
⁴ Who redeems your life from the pit,Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
⁵ Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

⁶ The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed."

Jeremiah 4:1-2



 “If you will return, O Israel,”

declares the Lord,
“Then you should return to Me.

And if you will put away your detested things

from My presence,

And will not waver,

² And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’
In truth, in justice and in righteousness;
Then the nations will bless themselves in Him,
And in Him they will glory.”

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS - FAMILY FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY

I love making connections... especially when it is about family...

Each year, during this week, there is a lot of talk about independence across our nation.  We celebrate Independence Day in a multiplicity of ways, most often with family and friends.

Yesterday, I was reminded once again of how great is my need for DEPENDENCE on my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is who I never want to be independent from.

When one of our daughters was in 2nd or 3rd grade, she came skipping out to my husband's car - after school.  As she got in his little Geo Metro, she excitedly shared about the big happening of the school day.  A little boy in her class had to be taken to the hospital for surgery...

"Guess what, Dad?

They're going to have to take out his independence!"

What a statement!  Even though she really meant appendix, it got us to making some spiritual connections:

"Jesus, 

I depend on Your Righteousness.

Take out my independence!

I want to hunger and thirst for righteousness,

because You are our righteousness."

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!



BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS - TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

A nation full of:

• mommies who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• daddies who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• children who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• citizens who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• aliens who hunger and thirst for righteousness

If the above were the case, then our homes would be transformed... our schools would be transformed... our workplaces would be transformed... our cities, towns, and countryside would be transformed...

our nation would be transformed...

It takes more than the little phrase,

"God bless, America!"

Blessed people are described by Jesus in

His sermon on the mount - Matthew 5 -

by how they live.

It takes action on our part.

It takes all of us to step up

and live differently to be BLESSED.

It's time for:

*a reframe*

*a reformation*

*a conversion*

*a transformation*

Want transformation? 

It begins with you and me!

AMERICA:  BLESS GOD!

Jesus says that BLESSED people:

~are poor in spirit~

~mourn over their sin~

~are meek / gentle~

~hunger and thirst for righteousness~

~are merciful~

~are pure in heart~

~are peacemakers~

~are persecuted for righteousness sake~

~rejoice in spite of circumstances~

Scripture says that Jesus is our Righteousness.

Listen to Him!

Live like Him!

It's time to grow up in Jesus, America!

Bless Jesus!

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!



BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS - WOMEN IN THE WORD WEDNESDAY

In Mark 2:27,
JESUS said,  

“It is not those who are healthy

who need a physician,

but those who are sick.  

 I did not come to call the righteous,

but sinners.”

     Some time after Jesus spoke the sermon on the mount, encouraging people to "hunger and thirst for righteousness", He spoke the verses above.  Why did He not come to call the righteous, since He wants us to "hunger and thirst for righteousness"?  The answer is simply that we are all sinners and He and He alone is righteousness.  In fact,

HE IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS - GRATITUESDAY

How can we not hunger and thirst for this

God who is truly righteous through and through !?!!!?!!!!

Thank You, Jesus,

for being our righteousness.

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS - MEDITATION MONDAY

Psalm 11:7 

 "For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face."
.

Psalm 17:15

"As for me,
I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake."
.

Psalm 23:3

"He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake."
.

Psalm 24:4-5

"He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And righteousness from the God of his salvation."
.

Psalm 45:7

"You have loved righteousness
and hated wickedness;

Therefore God, Your God,

has anointed you with the oil of joy
above your fellows."
.

Psalm 119:40

"Behold,
I long for Your precepts;

Revive me through Your righteousness."
.

BLESSED!   
OH, THE JOY!