Monday, 29 July 2024
Saturday, 27 July 2024
Thursday, 25 July 2024
Upside Down Kingdom.
Join me in reading The Upside Down Kingdom: An 8 Day Study Through the Beatitudes
Day 1...The Poverty That Makes One Rich
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
AS WE BEGIN
Mike Vetrone was an ex-drug-runner for the mob who was addicted to heroin. Feeling all alone, crushed by persistent death threats, and tired of running, the idea of ending it all presented itself. On an overcast morning in South Florida, Mike dropped by a favorite haunt, Big Apple Bagel, to pick up his last meal. Back in his apartment, he flipped on the television in search of company. On came a television preacher exclaiming, “Life has a way of grabbing you by the collar, forcing you down to your knees.”
Mike turned up the volume.
“There’s a chain that binds every soul,” the preacher exclaimed, “and that chain is sin—an addiction from which Jesus’s death and resurrection sets us free.” Suddenly, as the television evangelist invited viewers to embrace Christ, Mike found himself shouting at the television, “Yes!” In that moment, he no longer felt alone.
Mike was facing not the end of his life, but a new beginning.
DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT
When we sense our spiritual poverty, we are ready to receive the King’s riches. The kingdom is not for the graspers, but for the broken—those who reach the end of themselves and approach God with empty hands.
OBSERVATIONS
The phrase “kingdom of heaven” occurs throughout Matthew and is generally synonymous with the “kingdom of God.” It describes the true, peaceful, pure, and joyful life that is realized in communion with God. Such blessings confront our idols—the gods of comfort, success, and national pride—and promise something far greater. Indeed, idols are merely the profane and twisted parody of which the kingdom is the satisfying reality. So, Jesus frames his Beatitudes with reference to the kingdom: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3; cf. 5:10).
Notice how Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as “theirs.” The positioning of this word at the beginning of the clause gives the sense that the kingdom is for this particular group, the poor in spirit, the marginalized and forgotten. It’s not for those who are content with life and consistently in control. It’s not for those who believe in themselves, who have the natural ability to win the day. As Martin Luther proclaimed from his deathbed, “We are all beggars; this is true.”
APPLICATION
Many of Jesus’ contemporaries expected a deliverer like Joshua or David, a military commander who would vanquish the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom. Instead, he became known as a friend of tax collectors—a circle of traitors who aligned with the political enemy.
In keeping with our Savior’s example, we don’t always need to defend ourselves or have the final word. Christians who are poor in spirit can live with being maligned and misunderstood. We can be like Jesus before Herod Antipas—silent. Such poverty is essential when we are tempted to excoriate our “enemy” who thinks differently about a social or political issue.
How will you embody poverty of spirit, even among those who seek to argue?
CHAPTER 1...The Upside Down Discussion Questions
The Poverty That Makes One Rich
1. The blessings of the kingdom, Chris says, “confront our idols—the gods
of comfort, success, and national pride—and promise something far
greater.” What are the prominent idols that are currently commanding
your allegiance? How might a renewed focus on the riches of Christ’s
kingdom help you to reject these idols?
2. “In God’s kingdom,” Chris says, “the valley is the turning point.” How
does the valley reveal your poverty, and how does that realization lead
you to rely more fully upon God’s enabling power?
3. Christ “fully embraced our impoverishment,” Chris says, even
undergoing the ultimate in human poverty—death. Why does a focus on
Christ’s death on the cross provide hope and comfort in our darkest days?
4. Spiritual transformation of the broken sinner happens in three areas of
life—before God, in our communities, and in the church. Which of these
especially resonates with you right now?
5. Why is hope, as Chris says, “a form of poverty”? What is “the only true
basis of our hope”?
6. Why might well-intended modern marketing methods sometimes
actually undermine a church’s efforts to reach her neighbors? How
does Jesus’s call to spiritual poverty provide an answer?
Day 2....When Loss Becomes Gain
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4
AS WE BEGIN
Philosopher and theologian Nicholas Wolterstorff, grieving the death of a loved one, describes the universal scope of suffering in his book, Lament for a Son: “Suffering keeps its face hid from each while making itself known to all... We are one in suffering. Some are wealthy, some are bright; some athletic, some admired. But we all suffer. For we all prize and love; and in this present existence of ours, prizing and loving yield suffering.”
The ubiquity of suffering opens the door to God’s unimaginable comfort for each of us.
DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT
When we face loss, we can do so either with bitterness, a detached stoicism, or faith. When we choose to respond in faith, we begin the process of mourning and open ourselves up to God’s comfort.
OBSERVATIONS
Over the centuries, Christians have encouraged one another to recognize and embrace suffering as part of life. “Memento mori,” they said. Remember death. But such recognition is increasingly rare. “Few of us,” noted J.I. Packer, “live daily on the edge of eternity… and we lose out as a result.” This acknowledgment of one’s mortality sought to endow human experience with meaning and urgency.
Tragically, too often, we seek to deny this reality, secluding ourselves from others so that we will not see their pain and they will not see ours. But isolation, it turns out, also separates us from faith, hope, and love—to say nothing of joy. Try as we may to deny our emotions and deaden our pain, our hearts remain vulnerable to sorrow so long as we have breath.
There is no getting around it. As long as we traverse the gritty, nail-strewn pathways of this broken world, we will suffer and mourn. But instead of fleeing in despair, let us approach the One who wept with us, who identified with us to the point of a wretched death, who intercedes for us through our darkest nights of the soul. In a way we can only dimly understand, God suffers with us even now. May that thought provide comfort to all who mourn—including us.
APPLICATION
Often, it is merely the fearful thought of catastrophe that consumes us: the fear of illness, concern for our children, loneliness, financial misfortune, anxiety about old age, or unpleasant memories. In short, we suffer from a persistent current of fear that captivates our attention to the extent that Christ and His eternal purposes fade from our view.
But we don’t suffer alone. Christ abides with us. Other helpers fail and comforts flee, but the Lord remains. His divine presence, which now resides in our hearts, will soon fill the universe, a radiance that will vanquish every diabolical shadow forever. On that day, “the sun of righteousness will arise with healing in its wings” (see Malachi 4:2), and all will be made new. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things [will] have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Yes, “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).
CHAPTER 2 ...The Upside Down Kingdom Discussion Questions
When Loss Becomes Gain.
1. What are the three dimensions of suffering in this world? Which one(s)
do you feel most acutely?
2. When forced to swallow “the cocktail called misery,” do you do so with
bitterness, detachment, or faith? Can you cite an example?
3. Against the witness of church history, many Christians today
seek to flee heartache and misery. Why is lament an integral part
of understanding and worshiping God? How might we begin to
reintroduce lament into our churches?
4. Why does reflecting on the brevity of life open a door to deeper spiritual
clarity and inspiration? Do you have a memento mori in your own life?
5. Describe a time when you tasted death in an experience of fear,
intimidation, or angst. What sustained you?
6. Chris asserts that we don’t suffer alone. While friends may fail and
comforts flee, Christ abides with us, even to the end of the age. How
does the promise of Christ’s presence provide ultimate comfort?
Day 3 ... Gentleness in a Hostile World
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5
AS WE BEGIN
In 1095, Pope Urban II called for what became known as the First Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem from the Muslims, with a cry of Deus Vult, “God wills it.” With the same crusading spirit, many conquistadores (from Portugal and Spain) sought to spread Christianity through the Americas—another story of brutality in the name of Jesus. The Thirty Years War (1618 to 1648) also comes to mind, when Catholics and Protestants went toe-to-toe on the field of battle, wielding crude weapons, resulting in millions of deaths.
All of this leads us to the question: what is the proper role of power in the Christian life—the marshaling of “power from on high” (Luke 24:49) by which the kingdom advances in this world?
DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT
The heartbeat of meekness is the self-giving love of God, seen powerfully in Christ laying down His life. But meekness must not be confused with weakness. Paradoxically, meekness can be defined as gentle strength, governed by the Holy Spirit, and it will inherit the earth.
OBSERVATIONS
Our Beatitude says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). The verb “inherit” points to a firm possession, a gift that God places into our hands. But what does this mean—to possess the earth? Psalm 37 speaks of the meek inheriting the land (the land of Israel). The blessed meek are those who trust in the Lord. They turn from anger. They wait patiently—and God rewards them with the Promised Land.
But our text doesn’t say “land.” Jesus says the meek will inherit the “earth.” God’s blessing has been universalized. Now the kingdom belongs to people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Theologians call the Kingdom “already and not yet.” The full inheritance will come in the future. But the blessings have already started, including intimate communion with God … a clear conscience … peace ... and spiritual fruit.
APPLICATION
Across Christ’s kingdom, we do not have nearly enough individuals prepared to lead Christ’s church with meekness—that is, gentle strength, governed by the Holy Spirit. Instead, many sit back and wait for others to lead, to decide, and to carry on the work of the ministry. The church languishes—and the devil cackles. In such moments, we forget that Christ is a lion, a scourge on impotent religion, who calls his followers to engage in spiritual battle.
To see the indescribable power of meekness, we must look not at meekness itself, but at the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of meekness who humbled himself to the extent of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2). With such a vision before us, we will be inspired to serve in the church and at home with gentle strength, governed by the Spirit. Then, a world caught up in so much strife will see the difference that Christ-honoring meekness makes.
CHAPTER 3...The Upside Down Kingdom Discussion Questions
Gentleness in a Hostile World
1. Chris writes, “While the world has witnessed inspiring movements of
mercy in church history, too often the body of Christ has displayed the
resentment of Cain, defacing and destroying brothers and neighbors for
all kinds of reasons.” What examples might you identify?
2. How is meekness defined biblically, and how does Christ’s life so vividly
illustrate it? Why is meekness not to be confused with weakness?
3. Resisting the extremes of passivity and pugnaciousness, Chris says we
need Christ’s model of strength and gentleness. Have you encountered
an example of someone who embodies this balance? If so, what did it
look like?
4. Why do you think so many men in the church are passive and uncertain
about their call to leadership? How should we address this challenge?
5. When we become angry, do we respond like Nietzsche’s Übermensch
(superman), or like Jesus, the suffering servant who laid down his life
for others? Why is Jesus’s model more powerful?
6. While there are many threats to meekness, Chris identifies resentment
(ressentiment) as the root issue. How does the false or exaggerated
narrative of injury that follows from resentment naturally prevent us
from responding in meekness? What alternative is available in Christ?
Day 4...Taste and See
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6
AS WE BEGIN
All of us know what hunger feels like. As famished babies, we cried, and as ravenous adults, we may get irritable, or, as they say, “hangry.” We also know the kind of hunger that compels us to sacrifice and achieve; a hunger that occupies our thoughts, shapes our vision, and gives rise to our ambitions. Over time, this hunger shapes our identity. As physicians often say, “We are what we eat,” an axiom that is equally true in the spiritual realm.
When we maintain a diet of selfish ambition, duplicity, materialism, and infidelity, we inevitably personify these qualities. Like the food addict who consumes the entire canister of Pringles and then moves on to the tub of Breyers ice cream, we can slide from moral compromise into deeper patterns of self-destruction, including greed, lust, envy, and the other so-called deadly sins. Philosopher James K.A. Smith emphasizes the necessity of “rehabituating” our hungers. That is, submitting our deepest longings and cravings to the supremacy of Christ.
We are called to hunger and thirst for righteousness.
DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT
The righteousness that we are to seek is God’s redeeming grace—a grace that blesses humanity where we need it most: in relation to God, in the renewal of our souls, and in the structures of society.
OBSERVATIONS
God’s righteousness manifests his glory as he extends his gracious hand of salvation. Jesus personified this righteousness, and now anyone who embraces him by faith enjoys his redemptive blessing. When Matthew, the tax collector, repented, he experienced God’s justice and blessing. So did the prostitutes and those dismissed as “sinners.” So, Jesus told the religious rulers, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31). Is it any wonder the Jewish leaders sought to arrest him? An alternative kingdom was now encroaching upon their religious economy—indeed, the kingdom of God.
“This blessedness,” says Donald Hagner, “is ascribed not to achievers, but to receivers.” We must work very hard to resist the natural urge to find something within ourselves that deserves God’s favor. From beginning to end we are saved by divine initiative. How else can we explain God’s acceptance of cowards such as Abraham, and adulterers and murderers such as David? (See Romans 4:1-8.) And of course, how do we explain our own faith?
APPLICATION
While contending for this gospel of justification by faith alone, the Reformers insisted that our faith does not remain alone. Calvin was convinced that “we dream neither of a faith devoid of good works nor of a justification that stands without them.” United to Christ, we consequently encounter the renovating work of the Spirit, which in turn yields the fruit of righteousness (Galatians 5:22–23).
In this way, Jesus transforms our appetites from the inside out. Such a person, says Martin Luther, “continually works and strives with all his might to promote the general welfare and the proper behavior of everyone and... helps to maintain and support this by word and deed, by precept and example.”
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will display that they have been satisfied as they live increasingly righteous (yet still imperfect) lives. Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? How is this new appetite being revealed in your life?
CHAPTER 4....The Upside Down Kingdom Discussion Questions
Taste and See.
1. Chris speaks of “the kind of hunger that compels us to make sacrifices
and to achieve, a hunger that occupies our thoughts, shapes our vision,
and gives rise to our ambitions.” Describe in a sentence or two your
experience with this kind of hunger. How has this hunger shaped your
identity, for good or ill? How can we increase our hunger for kingdom
priorities, a longing for the good, the true, and the beautiful?
2. Righteousness begins with God, not our own efforts. “We must work
very hard to resist the natural urge to find something within ourselves
that deserves God’s favor,” Chris says. “From beginning to end we
are saved by divine initiative.” Why is it necessary for God to initiate
salvation, and how have you experienced God’s grace in your own life?
3. Describe how righteousness extends to us in justification, in us through
sanctification, and through us into the world.
4. How does the righteousness given freely by God deliver us, as Chris says,
from “the power and pollution of sin by instilling a hunger for God”?
5. What does it look like to hunger and thirst for righteousness in this
moment of history?
6. What are some obstacles to maintaining an appetite for righteousness,
and what can you do about them?
Day 5...The Face of Mercy
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Matthew 5:7
AS WE BEGIN
A 70-year-old woman named Marinella Beretta was found dead in Prestino, near Lake Como in northern Italy. She was seated at her table in a mummified state when police discovered her remains more than two years after she had died. Marinella’s neighbors, it turns out, had not seen her for at least two-and-a-half years. She was “loneliness personified,” wrote Massimo Gramellini, a journalist covering the story. “People die alone. And we live alone, which is almost worse.”
The closing words of his article are convicting: “The mystery of Marinella’s invisible life behind the closed gate of her cottage teaches us a terrible lesson. The real sadness is not that the others did not notice her death. It is that they did not realize Marinella Beretta was alive.”
DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT
After receiving God’s mercy, we must recognize the needs of others. It’s easy to ignore the needs of our family members who live under the same roof, to say nothing of unseen neighbors and friends. But we are called to notice.
OBSERVATIONS
Jesus calls us to notice others, to compassionately acknowledge their need. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). This is the heartbeat of our Beatitude—what Calvin understood as suffering with our neighbor, or what today we might call empathy.
Manifesting God’s mercy will produce not a small trickle of mercy, but a massive deluge. “Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’” (Matthew 18:21).
Forgiveness is not an example of mere benevolence; it is an eschatological act of faith and hope. In other words, by extending forgiveness to others, we demonstrate our belief that Christ will return and mercifully set all things right. Our salvation enables us to face the most grievous forms of evil with hope. “Where sin increased,” says Paul, “grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20).
APPLICATION
Because God alone can fully heal our wounds and revive the dead, we need to acquire His merciful heart if we are to forgive others. In view of this, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Should we say anything less?
Let us pray that the Lord would transform our hard, unforgiving hearts. Every time we extend mercy, forgiveness, and compassion in the name of Christ—a love that pardons another of his guilt—we reach forward to his coming reign, a kingdom blessing that we enjoy here on earth as it is in heaven.
CHAPTER 5...The Upside Down Kingdom Discussion Questions
The Face of Mercy
1. After he was spared from execution and began reading the New
Testament, a central question of Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky
was concerned with “how mercy restores human hearts—indeed, all of
creation—to the righteous image of God.” How has mercy restored
your heart?
2. How are anger and indignation the besetting sins of those who crave
justice (e.g., Javert from Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables)? What is
the solution?
3. “Try as we might,” Chris says, “we can never secure God’s favor through
our moral behavior.” Nevertheless, mercy is a vital element of spiritual
life. What does it say about the state of one’s soul?
4. How does a recollection of life before Christ—when we perhaps lived
in darkness without hope—engender a deeper appreciation for sharing
God’s mercy with others?
5. How does forgiveness of those who have wronged us constitute an act
of faith and hope?
6. If you were in the position of Margaret from the story at the conclusion
of the chapter, how would you have responded to the confession of your
spouse? Why was her response a beautiful example of mercy?
Day 6....Seeing God
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8
AS WE BEGIN
After losing her sight during infancy through a doctor’s negligence, Fanny J. Crosby went on to compose over 9,000 hymns, including “Blessed Assurance,” “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross,” and “I Am Thine, O Lord.” Crosby’s voluminous output was indebted to her extraordinary mind. According to one of her collaborators, Hugh Main, she could dictate two hymns simultaneously, alternating between the lines of each poem and keeping two secretaries busy.
This, however, was only part of her ministry. For over two decades, she visited the marginalized and downtrodden of society at Manhattan’s rescue missions. Crosby often motivated her listeners by pointing to the end of life when believers encounter Christ face-to-face. Through the centuries, the church has described this culminating hope as the beatific vision (1 Corinthians 13:12).
DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT
God examines our inner attitudes, evaluates our motives, and observes our private behavior. Such heart motivations and intentions are the focal point of the kingdom.
OBSERVATIONS
The trouble is that the sinful heart of those who don’t know God is turned in on itself and away from God. This results in falsehood and pride, says Augustine, which lead into further isolation and conflict. The heart is the core problem. Even our most humble and altruistic deeds—our service to others and pursuit of the common good—inevitably become occasions for pride. Our pretensions to purity often conceal a secret sin.
Speaking to God, Augustine says: “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” He uses the singular “heart” and not plural “hearts,” suggesting that humanity shares a common heart and thus a common need—for our emptiness to be filled with God’s purifying presence. This is precisely what God’s Spirit accomplishes through Scripture, a transformation that breaks our terminal trance.
This experience—the movement from blindness to spiritual sight—is the way of salvation. Addressing his congregation in Hippo, Augustine preached, “Our whole business in this life is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.” This is a seeing that surpasses sight. It is the vision of God.
APPLICATION
This Beatitude graciously reminds us that the focus of our sight is inextricably linked with the focus of our heart. Impurity and a vision of God do not go together. We who have looked to the One who was raised for our justification are not saved to continue in lives of impurity. Rather, we are saved from impurity to life anew, a gradual and messy process (from our point of view) that increasingly cherishes Christ over the vain things that charm us most.
Those who are seeking purity are also seeking the Lord, and, like a thirsty man in the desert, will find both and quench their thirst forever. Where’s your heart?
CHAPTER 6...The Upside Down Kingdom Discussion Questions.
Seeing God
1. How does the biblical conception of the human heart differ from the
way the heart is understood in popular culture?
2. What does it look like to combat our sick, sinful, and inwardly
turned hearts?
3. According to Augustine, what has the power to break the heart’s deadly
spell over us and begin the process of personal transformation?
4. Chris describes the time when his heart was made new “through
the atoning death and triumphant resurrection of Christ.” Have you
experienced something similar in your life, or was it a more gradual
process? If Christ has renewed your heart (slowly or suddenly),
describe what happened and how you have been changed.
5. If seeing God is “the greatest possible joy,” how does this truth impact
your life now and help you to think about the life to come? What are
you doing to live in this blessed reality right now? What changes do you
need to make?
6. Since God meets us, as Chris says, in “the valley of humiliation,” how
can we change our outlook on pain and suffering so that we see the
valley not as an interruption but as a divine gift?
CHAPTER 7...The Upside Down Kingdom Discussion Questions
Peace Be with You
1. What keeps us from peacemaking, both in our own hearts and in
today’s world?
2. Chris writes, “When we search for the kindling wood of Satan’s fire,
we usually find it in the subterranean levels of our heart, particularly
in smoldering fears and apprehensions that question the Father’s
goodness.” What does this look like in your experience?
3. How does anxiety destabilize peacemaking?
4. What is the “Upsilon Vector,” and what role does it play in your life?
5. To extend peacemaking to others, Chris commends the tradition of
applying the previously stated virtues in the Beatitudes—poverty of
spirit, mourning, meekness, etc. What beatitude do you sense the Lord
is calling you to share with a world longing for true peace? How might
you apply it to the hyper-partisanship that has gripped much of the
church in recent years?
6. How is peacemaking integral to our identity as sons and daughters
of God?
Day 7...Peace Be With You
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9
AS WE BEGIN
An intern recently asked me, “What is the most significant obstacle to peace in the church today?” At once, a flurry of clanging conflicts came to mind: petty jealousies, ambitions that disrupt unity, domestic strife that fractures marriages and results in divorce, and so on. But above them all emerged what might be the single greatest threat to peace in the contemporary church—political partisanship that prioritizes cultural values (many of them quite legitimate) over the Great Commission.
Today, many Christians correlate their political party with the manifest presence of Christ’s kingdom and take a partisan posture that makes slogans and fits of outrage the chief ways they identify themselves. Consequently, members on the opposing side not only represent a different position, but are viewed as a hideous evil. Such is the antagonism that now divides political progressives and political conservatives, even within the church.
Is it possible for the church to approach this battle royale differently?
DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT
Peacemaking is not simply being nice or kind. Nor is it extinguishing the flames of hostility. It is God’s divine plan for community living in which Christ fills our hearts and then, by extension, permeates the world.
OBSERVATIONS
The way God extends peace resembles the way he imparts justice—to us, in us, and through us. As Paul explains, God offers peace to the justified “through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). It is the setting of our minds on the Spirit that results in deep dimensions of peace within (Romans 8:6). And finally, it is our calling to let God’s peace flow through us by pursuing “what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (Romans 14:19). This sequence matters because we can’t offer what we don’t already possess.
Anxiety, however, can rob us of our promised peace. We have moments of anxiety and irritability—maybe for days, weeks, or a season—but thank God it does not last forever. Deeper and more basic than this inner turmoil is our identity as sons and daughters of God in union with Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Such indwelling subdues our hearts and leads us inexorably, if not haltingly, toward peace.
In practical terms, our call to peacemaking is simply the public demonstration of what the Spirit is doing in our heart—the cultivation and displaying of Christ at work.
APPLICATION
Instead of suspicion and infighting, what if we expressed patience and kindness, enduring all things in the name of Christ (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7)? What if we treated others the way we ourselves would like to be treated (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31)? What if we took Paul’s words, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6) to heart?
Could we, for example, maintain a commitment to protecting the unborn and preserving God’s design for the family while also addressing racial injustice and helping the poor? This sort of peacemaking doesn’t require us to compromise our theological convictions. It does, however, require us to emulate our crucified Savior, the one who demonstrated love toward enemies (Matthew 5:44).
Our position as sons and daughters of God leads us more and more into the divine practice of peacemaking. Such peace doesn’t come easily or cheaply, but the God of peace, who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead, will surely cause it to prevail (Hebrews 13:20).
Day 8...Even So, Rejoice
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10–12
AS WE BEGIN
Celio Secondo Curione was arrested in 1523 for discussing Bible doctrine. An Italian humanist whose heart was ignited by the writings of Martin Luther, Curione was summarily confined to a convent, where church authorities urged him to consider the heretical nature of his ideas. Instead, he continued to read the Reformers, sharing their message of unmerited grace with anyone who would listen.
In fact, he became so animated by Scripture that he eventually removed the bones from a saint’s reliquary and replaced them with a copy of the Bible and the following provocative caption: “This is the Ark of the Covenant where we find the true oracles of God; these are the true relics.”
This story illustrates the heartbeat of Jesus’ final Beatitudes. Captured by the saving power of the gospel, Curione joyfully endured persecution and reprisal, recognizing the reality of Christ’s kingdom as more compelling than personal safety or approval.
DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT
While the biblical promise of peace is the heritage of every believer in Jesus, so too is the requirement that we, like him, carry a cross.
OBSERVATIONS
The eighth and ninth beatitudes identify two reasons why persecution is considered blessed: when it is for righteousness’ sake (Matthew 5:10), or when one is reviled and insulted for the name of Jesus (Matthew 5:11). The latter is a reiteration and explication of the former, for our public witness to righteousness consists in our identification with Jesus.
In this cultural moment, tragically, there are plenty of ways that Christians bring suffering upon themselves. Those who spout hate or unbounded conspiracy theories invite derision or canceling on social media. Those who defend ugly or sinful behavior of their preferred politicians (on either side of the aisle) are aptly called hypocrites. Those who excuse breaches of integrity by saying the other side does worse are ridiculed as craven practitioners of “whataboutism.”
However, we must not deny that Christians today, even in the supposedly tolerant West, are being persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Those who refuse to participate in the active affirmation of unbiblical lifestyles current in business and the academy can find themselves ostracized, dragged into court, or unemployed. Outside the West, Christians can face all kinds of dangers for refusing to deny their faith—or simply for the crime of identifying as followers of Christ.
This “thicker” account of the gospel recognizes that to be “in Christ” defines everything about us—every ambition, activity, purpose, and relationship—an identity and calling that will inevitably offend the sensibilities of the world.
APPLICATION
How is persecution good news, even to the point of producing joy? Simply put, it is the privilege of living for Christ’s sake. It is the joy of now embracing by faith the ultimate reward that is promised in the kingdom of heaven. Disciples of Christ, like Abraham, look forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10). Sadly, though, it’s a joy that remains foreign to the world, which seeks another kingdom.
Are you living a life that elicits questions or wonder from your neighbors? Persecution? How much joy and gladness are yours as you live for Christ? Are you willing to suffer to experience this peculiar joy of the kingdom? What might be keeping you from wholehearted commitment to the Lord?
CHAPTER 8...The Upside Down Kingdom Discussion Questions
Even So, Rejoice
1. In discussing Christ’s promise of persecution, Chris notes that the
final two beatitudes “describe . . . what happens when we manifest the
purposes of Jesus on earth as they are in heaven.” This seems to be
the very opposite of “the good life” to which most of us aspire. Why is
persecution promised for those who follow the Lord? What else
is promised?
2. What is the relationship between persecution and gospel flourishing?
How does your suffering allow others to enter God’s counterintuitive kingdom?
3. What two reasons are given in these two final beatitudes for when
persecution is considered blessed? Can you point to any times in your
life when you were blessed in this way?
4. What is the difference between how Christ’s kingdom advances
and how worldly power structures advance? How willing are you to
embrace the former and to reject the latter?
5. Why should Christians be able to experience joy amid persecution?
How have you seen this counterintuitive joy in your life?
6. Why is suffering, as Chris says, “a badge of true discipleship”? Are you
looking forward to the reward? How can we prepare ourselves now for
the reality of suffering for Christ?
To read more on the Beatitudes check out The Upside Down Kingdom: Wisdom for Life from the Beatitudes from Crossway, here: https://www.crossway.org/books/the-upside-down-kingdom-tpb/
Monday, 22 July 2024
Controlling Irrational Anger
When I was journaling this morning I came across one of my character defects. I am learning about my character defects through a book called drop the rock. It’s all about step six and seven.
So when I was google about irrational anger I came across this
I always thought the opposite of anger was love but when I googled it said that the opposite of anger is calm.
I also found this scripture which is amaising and oh so true. Proverbs 14:29 “if you stay calm you are wise but if you have a heart temper you only show how stupid you are.”
I love this scripture it shows me how dumb anger really is.
Then I received an e-mail from daily Stoic and this too is about anger so this is definitely a character defect I need to change.
Here is the e-mail I received from Daily Stoic
The Stoics were smart. They were well-read, well-informed about the issues of the day. They led armies and held public office, they put out great works of literature and art. They had families, they went to the theater.
But you know what they didn’t do? They didn’t spend a lot of time arguing with other people. Once when Epictetus was criticized, he didn’t even try to defend himself or correct them. If they really knew me, he joked to himself, they’d have said something worse. Actually though, Epictetus believed that one of the products of an education was learning what was your business and what wasn’t, as well as what was up to you and what wasn’t.
Arguing with other people? Trying to change their minds about stuff that didn’t matter? That was a losing game. That was a waste of time. As we said recently, one of the signs of progress in this journey you’re on should be that you’re arguing with others less, getting in fights less. Because you’re focused on yourself—and all the work you have to do there. Because you care less about what others think, because you accept what’s not up to you.
Losers get into fights on Twitter. Losers make mountains out of molehills, turn edge cases into culture war battlefields. Losers try to impress other people, try to get them to like them. Do they win these fights sometimes? Sure, but they are pyrrhic victories. In the end, they lose far more than they receive in spoils.
How does a Stoic respond instead? It’s actually pretty simple. “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be,” Marcus Aurelius says. “Be one.”
If you’re serious about being your most controlled self when the stakes are high, then check out our 11-day Taming Your Temper Course over at Daily Stoic. It’s full of Stoic practices to defuse your anger in the moment and will help you find constructive outlets for your emotion—freeing you to work on fixing those problems that stoked your anger in the first place. Learn more here and conquer your anger today!
Sunday, 21 July 2024
For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do
He Will Make Your Paths Straight
Do you ever think, I have no idea what I’m doing! You have no idea why you make the decisions you do. Even when you know something is wrong, harmful, or hurts the heart of God, no matter what you try to do, you can’t seem to stay away from it and do the right thing.
It’s maddening. Don’t worry—you aren’t alone. Our friend Paul felt the same way, and he was a man entrusted by Jesus to travel the world spreading the gospel and leading people into a relationship with God! He wrote, I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:15–20) Don’t you find so much comfort in this scripture?
The apostle Paul himself sounds like a mad man. Round and round in circles he goes, wondering why on earth he cannot get it together, leave all of his sin behind, and merely do what is right. The reality is that we all feel this way. It’s completely normal. If you continue reading Paul’s letter, he goes on to explain that there is a war going on inside of us; our sin nature tries to enslave us and capture our hearts. But thanks be to God! He is our rescuer and He delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord, and we are free.
God created us, and He knew our minds would be battling this war between sin and righteousness. We must not rely on our own understanding, but instead, trust in where He guides us. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Psalm 3:5–6)
Believe that God will make your path straight, and be relieved that the pressure isn’t on you to always know what to do. Your loving Father does though, and He is eager to lead the way. You must simply trust and follow.
Today’s Scriptures Romans 7:15–20 Psalm 3:5–6
Saturday, 13 July 2024
Never Doubt
Ezekiel 25:17.
From a series called Travelers... A guy had a bomb and on it was Ezekiel 25:17.
Ezekiel 25:17....And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.
When I google it found this video from pulp fiction..
Friday, 12 July 2024
Emotions..
For we live by faith, not by sight. —2 CORINTHIANS 5:7
People who live according to their feelings will never truly enjoy their lives. Feelings can sometimes be good, and they also can be bad. I often say that they show up when you don’t want them and disappear when you need them. People share their feelings with me more than anything else, and I probably do the same to others. Our natural tendency is to follow our feelings, but God wants us to be led by the Holy Spirit. Feelings will never go away; we have to deal with their ebb and flow throughout our lives. Emotions seem to have a mind of their own and change without notice. We can have feelings, but we must not let them have us. We cannot let them take the lead or make decisions for us. We can learn to manage our emotions and live beyond our feelings. We can do what we know is right, instead of doing what we feel like doing. I fulfill many responsibilities that I would fail to carry out if I always did what I felt like doing. I am sure you are the same way. Emotions are the number one enemy of the child of God. They lie to us, and if we follow them without examining whether or not they are healthy, we will experience great difficulty in life. We can manage our emotions with God’s help and learn to recognize when the devil is using them to lead us down the wrong path. “Father, help me not to let my feelings boss me around. I want to follow Your Holy Spirit, not my feelings, but I need Your help to do it. I trust You to teach me how to walk by faith in You, not my feelings. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Love this message from Joyce today. Because I really need it. I am going over to hillhouse to watch Vegas while jean is on holiday. And I usually get very emotional and this leads me to get very anxious. But what's helping me is I have God by my side to protect and guide.
Thursday, 11 July 2024
Love ❤️
This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 by Verses:
#2 Message of Love again this morning.....Day 12 Triple Threat—LOVE The Spirit of God does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. —2 Timothy 1:7
You’ve likely heard it before: those who do not love themselves are not able to love others well. You may or may not agree, but this is worth a thought. When you do not love yourself, but attempt to give others love, the result is an inauthentic love. They may never realize, but you know this is true. If you believe for any reason that something you have done, or that the way you look, determines whether or not you are worthy of love, then you are telling the people in your life that what they do or the way they look determines if they too are worthy of love. This kind of counterfeit love shapes unstable and mistrusting relationships that are not rooted in God’s love, but in human love. God’s love is not dependent upon our decision making, and it certainly is not about the way we look, since we know He created us each uniquely in his image. Rather, God’s love is utterly unconditional. This means that no matter what we do, the mistakes we make, the sins we commit, God will never turn away from us and He will never love us any less. It’s one of the hardest aspects of a relationship with Christ to accept; we will never be able to do anything that would cause the Lord to stop loving us. He will call us His children and pursue our hearts until our very last breath. [I]n all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37–39) Human, worldly love is faulty. It gives and it takes under conditions. As a Christ follower, you were called to love others the way Christ loves you: wholeheartedly and without restrictions. If you do not believe you are worthy of such love, then you will not be able to extend it to those in your life. ED tells you you’re undeserving, without value, unworthy, and forever needing to earn love and acceptance. God says love is yours today. Even if you tried to make Him, He would not take it away from you. He loves you, accepts you, and thinks the world of you! Embrace that love in your heart today. Allow His love for you to be so evident that you know you can love yourself, because you are worthy. Only then will you be able to love those around you with the kind of love that glorifies God and brings others authentic peace, safety, and joy. Today’s Scriptures 2 Timothy 1:7 Romans 8:37–39
Wednesday, 10 July 2024
Extremes/ Balance
I like this reading from Joyce today. It is a help for my eating disorder....
Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. —1 PETER 5:8 AMPC
Satan seeks to push us to extremes at all times. He wants us to be either unaware of him or excessively focused on him. He wants us to be unaware of our faults or obsessed with them. Once you become aware of a sin or fault in your life, confess it to the Lord, repent, and ask for His help to overcome it.
Don’t focus on what is wrong with you, because in Christ, there is more right with you than there is wrong. If you focus only on your faults, you may begin to think you do nothing right and fall into condemnation, and that is not God’s will. We see extremes in all kinds of practical situations of everyday life. One person may work too hard and not get enough rest, which leads to all kinds of problems, while another may not work enough and sink into passivity and laziness. Some people spend too much money and go into debt, while others become miserly and are unwilling to spend when they need to.
Maintaining balance can be quite difficult, because our fleshly tendency is to think that if a little of something is good, a lot of it should be better. But this is not always the case. Eating a little dessert occasionally is tasty and enjoyable, but eating it excessively adds unwanted pounds and can make us lethargic. The only way to maintain balance is to regularly examine your life in the light of God’s Word. If anything is out of balance, seek God’s help in restoring it to its proper place.
“Father, forgive me for being extreme at times. Help me to always maintain a perfect balance in my life, doing enough of everything but never too much of anything. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Crack or Crevice.
Once in a video for a Devotional called lift the veil from your Bible and now in a Devotional called Meditate Psalm 139
The first time I heard it I laughed because the guy was telling the story of when Moses seen the glory of God. He said he seen the backside of God's glory through the crack in the rock. And I know it's stupid but I thought of the crack of a bum ...because he said backside and in Scottish language a backside is a bum ..
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Monday, 8 July 2024
The Place Where We Got In - Greg Laurie Devotion - July 8, 2024
Monday, July 8, 2024
The Place Where We Got In
Don’t envy evil people or desire their company. (Proverbs 24:1 NLT)
A little boy who fell out of bed in the middle of the night identified the cause of his fall this way: “I think I stayed too close to the place where I got in.”
It’s the same reason we fall away spiritually. We stay too close to the place where we got in.That is what happened to Peter, and he ended up warming himself at the enemy’s fire.
Peter was trying to go undercover as a disciple. Matthew 26:57–58 says, “Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard” (NLT). The Gospel of John tells us the guards in the courtyard were standing around a charcoal fire, “and Peter stood with them, warming himself” (18:18 NLT).
At this point Peter was worn down, defeated, weak, and vulnerable. Yes, he was following Jesus. But it was at a distance. As a result, he was attracted to the warmth of the enemy’s fire.
Why was he even there? The rest of verse 58 gives us the answer: “He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.”
Peter had forgotten all that Jesus had said about His resurrection from the dead. He simply waited for the end—the end of Jesus’ life, the end of his dream, and the end of everything he held dear
But it was not the end. It would be a new beginning.
Here was Peter’s problem: he was in the wrong place with the wrong people, and he was about to do the wrong thing. And that is what happens when we fall into sin. We are always in the wrong place with the wrong people. And we do the wrong thing.
( I can relate so much with this. I seem to change when I go over to hillhouse near my family. In that environment I just seem to do the wrong things.)
When we hang out with the wrong people at the wrong place, then it is only a matter of time until we do the wrong thing. We need to wise up.
Psalm 1 says, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night” (verses 1–2 NLT).
Have you ever noticed the progression in these verses? First there is following. Then there is standing around. And then there is joining in.
Have you ever tried to be an undercover Christian? It’s like the man who only went to church on Christmas and Easter. The pastor greeted him at the door and said, “You know, I only see you about twice a year. You need to join the Lord’s army.”
The man leaned forward and whispered, “I’m in the Secret Service.”
Is that you? Are you a Secret Service Christian?
For Peter, the problem wasn’t the fire itself; it was the people around the fire. He was trying to warm himself there. In the same way, when the passion in our hearts begins to die, the fire that we had for Christ will grow cold. And then we’ll look elsewhere for warmth
Saturday, 6 July 2024
Build Others Up.
JULY 7
BUILD OTHERS UP
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. —ROMANS 2:1
Our enemy, the devil, wants us to be faultfinders, focusing on the shortcomings of others while being blind to our own faults. If we see nothing wrong with ourselves and a great deal wrong with others, then the devil has won because we are opening doors for him to work in our lives through our lack of love.
Jesus said, “Take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
We can and should pray for others, but we cannot change them. Only God can change people. We can, however, work with the Holy Spirit to make positive changes in our lives if we are not overly focused on what we think is wrong with everyone else. Faultfinding is the fruit of pride.
The devil wants us to be proud and haughty, thinking more highly of ourselves than we do of others. We may often feel superior to other people, and that always causes us to look down on them and treat them in a belittling manner. We should build others up and help them feel good about themselves. If we choose to do so, we can find a compliment for each person with whom we come in contact. Then we will be joyful, and we will reap a harvest of good things in our own lives.
“Father, I want to please You in all my ways. Help me to think good thoughts about others and never judge them critically. Teach me how to pray for them and love them as You do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Psalm 150:6
https://youtu.be/f2oxGYpuLkw?si=k8oWYstDDiZtBihm
That has breath
Praise the Lord (you got it)
Praise the Lord
Let everything (let everything)
(Hey) that has breath
(Hey) praise the Lord
(Hey) praise the Lord
I'll praise in the valley
Praise on the mountain (yeah)
I'll praise when I'm sure
Praise when I'm doubting (yes, sir)
Psalm 150:6 is the main theme for this song 🎵
Combating Stress.
Combatting stress (1)
Friday 5th July 2024
‘You will be strong and free of fear.’ Job 11:15 NLT
When you ignore the warning signs, chronic stress can take a toll on your body. So what are some of the signals? Well for starters, your stomach churns at any form of disagreement. When you can’t find an outlet for pent-up frustration, you may resort to overeating, smoking, drinking, drugs and generally abusing your body. You isolate yourself, which affects your loved ones. Debora M. Coty writes about what she terms the ‘Three Fs: outward fussing, inward fuming and chronic fatigue’. She jokes, ‘I knew it was time to address my stress issues when my growl grew louder than the dog’s, and my family tactfully suggested I get a rabies shot.’
However, it’s the signs you don’t see that can do the most damage. Cortisol, a hormone our bodies release in the grasp of stress, adds to feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. And studies verify that, over time, stress raises your blood pressure, contributes to migraines and tension headaches, and results in plaque that leads to heart disease. Chronic stress has been observed to increase cardiovascular risk, and is connected to alcoholism, anxiety attacks, asthma, cancer, colds, depression, flu, insomnia, obesity, strokes and ulcers. And those uncontrolled crying spells you have when you’re exhausted are no coincidence; stress can activate emotional outbursts.
If this describes you, take action! Rearrange your priorities, slow down, take control of your life and turn to God. When you ‘prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer…You will be strong and free of fear’ (Job 11:13, 15 NLT).
Wednesday, 3 July 2024
Ingrained Habits...
This is from my daily devotion from Rick Warren. It is so true I have a lot of wrong habits that have built up over the years. And now I'm peeling them away to live a right way of life.
Judging Other or Indulging In Self Hatred
It's so funny the more I was becoming religious the more I was getting more judgemental and less like jesus.
As it says here He is the only one capable to judge. I also loved to hear that he was highly offended when he heard me judging others and indulging in self-hatred.
Think this is a root to my problem with overeating!!
So by staying close to the Holy Spirit He will guide and correct me.
My Truth..
So im sitting here with my cards from melody the language of letting go and I’m just thinking Lord please help me pick a card to help me understand what plan I need
so let's see what happens ...the card that came is standing firmly in my truth
Today I will acknowledge that my knowledge feelings and beliefs are all mine and they are just as valid as anyone else is. I’m open to learning from others and their experiences but i will stand firmly in my own truth
I’m open to learning from others and their experiences but I will stand firmly in my own truth.
I quite like this ...That's my first step to get someone that knows more info about overeating. I do have a lot of knowledge. But not about overeating !!!
Emilia was reflecting this to me yesterday. She kept on saying I know I know and this is a pet hate for me . When people say i know when its quite obvious they don’t.
I said to her you don’t know everything but i do. Ok i know more than her cause she only 3 and im 63 lol....she is a kid just learning things.
But their is truth in this reflection I need to be not so childish and think I know everything. If I did I wouldn’t be in this situation with food.
so I think that’s why I’m going to the meetings for Overeaters Anonymous. I need someone thats can help me because that’s the way I stop drinking By getting help from other people.
Last night Craig mentioned this about chocolate he says he can walk by about a chocolate that he used to be addicted too. One he ate all the time and now it doesn’t have the same hold on him. I can do that with alcohol now and that amazes me.
But certain foods not so much so yeah I need people at the meetings to help me and gather info that will help me get a plan.
Kathy said a few things last night so I’ve downloaded the book on my kindle so let’s see what else comes up .
.But I need to rememberd that I am opened to learning from others but I need to stand firmly in my own truth...
No wonder Stand Firm kept on coming up in Scriptures for me. Because others don't believe in jesus doesn't mean that I stop believing.
STAND FIRM IN FAITH !!!!
Wrestling.
God’s weapons for victory
Wednesday 3rd July 2024
‘I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men.’ 2 Corinthians 10:4 TLB
Before doing battle with Syria, Joab told his brother, ‘If [they] are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you’ (1 Chronicles 19:12 NKJV). If one was overwhelmed, the other could step in and help.
Spiritual warfare is different, however. We’re not wrestling with ‘flesh and blood, but against principalities…powers…rulers of the darkness…[and] spiritual hosts of wickedness’ (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV). And wrestling is a one-on-one struggle that means getting up close and personal, going toe-to-toe with your opponent. When David faced Goliath, the giant was so sure of himself that he announced to all Israel, ‘If he kills me…we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves’ (1 Samuel 17:9 NLT)! Think about the long-term implications of this. If Goliath prevailed, God’s people would spend their lives serving the enemy. The stakes were incredibly high for Israel – and they are for you too. Satan is out to defeat you, and if you wrestle according to the rules of the flesh, you will lose.
Just like professional wrestlers have rules they abide by, there are fail-safe spiritual rules designed to work for you. Paul says, ‘We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds’ (2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT). The only hope you have of defeating Satan lies in prayer, Christian fellowship, God’s word, the name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus. These five things top the list of powerful weapons given you to defeat the enemy. So use them today
The Word wrestling stood out because it was mentioned in today's Devotional by Rick Warren
Make Healing Choices
The Bible teaches that our biggest struggle in life is with God because we want to be in control. We want to be God. This was the problem Jacob had; he insisted he be able to control his life to such an extent that he wanted to change the order of his birth! One night he even tried to go one-on-one with God. Some people want to debate who Jacob actually wrestled but the Bible tells us in Hosea: "Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God." (Hosea 12:3 NLT) Think of your problem right now. Regardless of what that problem is, I suspect it all boils down to these two issues. Will you trust God and obey? Will you not trust God and, instead, disobey? No matter what your problem is - financial, physical, relational, social, and vocational -- your biggest problem is not the problem you think. The real problem is not obeying and trusting God. And that makes the problem bigger. Have you ever been in a no-win situation? Perhaps you're in a no-win situation right now. Who do you think is behind that? God is! God backs you into a corner. Why? Because God often allows crisis in our lives in order to get our attention. All of a sudden we're laid flat on our backs and we're forced to look up.
I think God is trying to get my attention about my overeating. Because that is what I'm wrestling with just now!!!
Monday, 1 July 2024
Lift The Veil From Your Bible.#
Get The Veil Off Your Bible: Day 8 • Devotional
language of letting Go +Jimmy Carrey. Dont be a people pleaser
And the I just watched a video on YouTube called There's nothing to be but letting go Jim Carrey on Depression.
Loved what he said around 8:23 in the section Not Looking Back...I was holding up an image. I was trying to be the wizard of Oz instead of the sweaty guy behind the curtain. But now I know Oz is a character.
YOUR TRYING TO BE SOMETHING FOR THE WORLD.
Tonight meditation
Defect Of Pride.
July 1 .....When a proud man hears another praised, he thinks himself injured. English proverb.
Abstinence is like pulling up a window shade: it gives me a view of my real problems. I see a willful child, wanting to be first, to be best, to be noticed and praised. When I hear a good word for someone else, I have not outgrown the cry, “What about me?” I feel so unloved I need it all.
Let me take steps now to face my defect of pride and use it as an incentive to grow. Then I can be free of competitiveness and share in the joy of someone else’s virtues and strengths.
For today: I do not compare myself with anyone but, rather, appreciate each of us for what we are. That is the true harmony of the world.
I just picked a card from The Language Of Letting Go by Melody Beattie which i think is pretty good answer ....
Today's Stoic Meditation :To Be Righteous is just to live life right.... DO IT ✅️
I just love when all my messages fit like a jigsaw. Here is my jigsaw for a righteous life ...love it and as NIKE motto says just DO IT ✅️
July 1st ...DO YOUR JOB
“Whatever anyone does or says, for my part I’m bound to the good. In the same way an emerald or gold or purple might always proclaim: ‘whatever anyone does or says, I must be what I am and show my true colors.’ ” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.15
The Stoics believed that every person, animal, and thing has a purpose or a place in nature. Even in ancient Greek and Roman times, they vaguely understood that the world was composed of millions of tiny atoms. It was this idea—this sense of an interconnected cosmos—that underpinned their sense that every person and every action was part of a larger system. Everyone had a job—a specific duty. Even people who did bad things—they were doing their job of being evil because evil is a part of life. The most critical part of this system was the belief that you, the student who has sought out Stoicism, have the most important job: to be good! To be wise. “To remain the person that philosophy wished to make us.” Do your job today. Whatever happens, whatever other people’s jobs happen to be, do yours. Be good.
When I was reading this James pop into my head. I've been told he turning to drink now. And it made me wonder why I turned to drink too.
I turned to drink to help me cope with life. I was under a lot of pressure. But in recovery I see now that addiction just covers the pain it doesn't heal it.
Time to rip the bandaid off. By going into recovery I did this. I opened up my wounds to clean them out.
Through addiction I seen that my belief was that I was worthless. That I couldn't handle things and alcohol could. But it didn't it just made things worse.
Until my belief system changed that's when I did too. The scripture that came to me just now was "TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD"
Love it I google to see where in the Bible this verse was and I found this song Taste And See and the lyrics is what I was thinking but couldn't put into words
I sought the LordAnd He answered meAnd delivered meFrom every fear
Those who look on HimAre radiantThey'll never be ashamedThey'll never be ashamed
In recovery my faith started to build. As the words said above I sought the lord another song that I love ❤️ 😍 it's funny that is how I get revelation from God's Word through son.
Well he did put a new song in me when I sought him for my addiction.
The words I highlighted from today's meditation help me see, to be this good person I had to seek out the Lords help not any drugs or alcohol
And the quote I love from the film Dragonfly is.... IT'S BELIEF THAT GETS US THERE!!!!
Now this is Faith in Action
Hebrew 11:1..... Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Oh boy just read my Devotional from Joyce Meyer and it just fits in with this
JULY 1 STARTING YOUR DAY RIGHT
I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. —PROVERBS 8:17 AMPC
Seeking God “early” in this scripture probably means seeking Him in the early part of each day, but I also believe it is advisable to seek God early, or at the beginning of any project. Hudson Taylor wrote, “Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.” God is our source (1 Corinthians 8:6), and because He is, seeking Him and spending time with Him daily is not a devout obligation, but a divine privilege. Every day is a journey with God, and we find strength for our journey by spending time with Him. Nothing is more vital to living an effective, intentional, “on purpose” life than daily time with God. When you start your day right by spending time with God, it is more likely to go well and end well.
Just imagine how different our lives would be if everyone spent time with God before they left their homes and began to interact with other people. It would put an end to the miseries that stem from selfishness, crime, violence, injustice, and oppression—just to name a few. Don’t wait to find time for God. Make time for God, and your life will improve greatly.
“Father, I am sorry for all the times I have ignored You. Forgive me, and help me be diligent to start each day right by spending time with You. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
I just love when my Devotional all line up and help me with my day, and the message from God..
JULY 1 STARTING YOUR DAY RIGHT
I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. —PROVERBS 8:17 AMPC
Seeking God “early” in this scripture probably means seeking Him in the early part of each day, but I also believe it is advisable to seek God early, or at the beginning of any project.
Hudson Taylor wrote, “Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.” God is our source (1 Corinthians 8:6), and because He is, seeking Him and spending time with Him daily is not a devout obligation, but a divine privilege. Every day is a journey with God, and we find strength for our journey by spending time with Him. Nothing is more vital to living an effective, intentional, “on purpose” life than daily time with God. When you start your day right by spending time with God, it is more likely to go well and end well.
Just imagine how different our lives would be if everyone spent time with God before they left their homes and began to interact with other people. It would put an end to the miseries that stem from selfishness, crime, violence, injustice, and oppression—just to name a few. Don’t wait to find time for God. Make time for God, and your life will improve greatly.
“Father, I am sorry for all the times I have ignored You. Forgive me, and help me be diligent to start each day right by spending time with You. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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