The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-12

Matthew 5:12a Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.

The beatitudes can be simply said sublime happiness. How do these teachings of Jesus apply to happiness? They apply to the way life is best lived. Jesus knew that life apart from him is filled with sin and sadness so he told us how to live. The beatitudes are the Christian life put into words. This is the road to happiness or satisfaction in Jesus Christ. They tell us about Christian character which leads to right living.
It is no wonder that Jesus would tell his disciples and us that when you live this way you will be treated poorly by the world around you, but take joy or rejoice for you have pleased your heavenly Father and your reward is in him. Jesus knows his people and what they need to understand life.
This year as we uncover the beatitudes through the “M5 Files” ask your self how does God want me to live or what do I need God to fix in me that I might live out this sublime happiness? What you are going to see is that God knows you inside and out, he knows what you need to be effective in his kingdom. God has a plan for his children so that they would look and live differently than the world.
The beatitudes will open your eyes to the life you have always wanted. They will show you how big and how perfect our God is. Jesus is the best teacher who ever walked the earth, open your hearts and let him show how life is best lived in his grace and mercy.

And so...

What a wonderful way to spend the day after Christmas than to be with the people he came for. It is amazing to me to think about the joy and blessing that come from Christ giving all for me, that he would rescue me and give me everything that kneed for life and godliness. I love how one of the most well know verses in the Bible, John 3:16 gives us the perfect perspective on Christmas. Out of love the father gave. Out of obedience the son came. In udder despair we did not know we need him. Yet he chose to give perfectly.

So as you wake tomorrow or even in 2 Thursdays from now maybe that anticipation of Christmas can still linger because the Father gave.

clarity in discomfort

God has an amazing way to redirect us to himself. I like to think of it as purposeful pain. Now this is not always physical but sometimes emotional or mental. I love when God intervenes in the midst of a mental cloud a funk of sorts and says "ask me i know what to do". So when you are at a loss or feel like your not sure about the issues try to sift through the discomfort of "yourself" and see what God thinks. For me it is a prayerful petition to fix my heart attitude even if i do hurt or am confused. When my heart is bound to the things of God all things can come together for our good and His glory.

Christmas and the messiah

When we think about celebrating christmas we thinking about the coming of the Christ child. I wonder what it would have been like to be apart of israel as they would have hoped for the coming messiah? They would have known he would be great, greater than David and would rule for ever. They would have longed to be rescued from oppression and fear from other nations. They would have been the world power. But this is not why the messiah came. As people living 2000 years after the coming of the messiah we no longer have to hope for his coming we can know the truth that he came. He cam to rescue us from sin and our selves. The messiah has come and he have the joy of celebrating what he has done in us. We can remember what we were when he saved us, what he did in us, and who are based on his amazing love and grace in our lives. As we lead up to Christmas we have the joy and the security the messiah has accomplished what he came for to save a people for himself!

3 things to ask about culture

There is much talk today about culture and what we should do with it. The obvious question to me is to first ask what how do you define the word culture? Is it people, their customs, they sub groups in them? I am not sure that there is one specific way to define culture to make everyone happy, what I do think is that we can work with things in culture and help give ourselves and families better direction.

Here are the three things: first we can accept what culture wants us to give it no thought and continue on ilife with out a care. Second we can reject it, determine that there is nothing good iit at all and run fast fromm it. Third we can redeem it look at it from Gospel perspective to see how the scripture might influence what we do.

I know this very general but when we look at life through a gospel lens it will give us one of these three options. Not everything is bad, or good, or needs to be changed. So let's seek Gods word for how life should be defined and what we see in culture and react to.

Who will be your savior?

The world ( culture) has a way of trying to convince you to believe It will be your savior. From the time we are young it promises hope, if you try hard enough. It promises satisfaction if you give your self to it. The world has been an overwhelming force of false hope, false satisfaction and a false sense of belonging. When the world is done with you it will leave you in the dust, with out a care or worry of your well being.

Jesus came that we would not be lost any longer! Through the blood of Jesus we are satisfied, find hope and belong to the greatest family. The amazing thing is that this is not new news. This is the good news of the last 2000 years! But for whatever reason most likely selfishness we push past what will fill us to what will fail us every time. Jesus never fails never gives up on his people. So who will be your savior the world(culture) or Jesus Christ? Who has your heart?