Beatitudes Tag

March 4, 2007

I’ll Wait for My Reward

When you buy a new car, it has both standard equipment and options. In the Christian life, persecution isn’t an option, it is standard equipment. Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are you IF people insult you.” He said, “Blessed are you WHEN you are insulted.”

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February 25, 2007

I’ll Build Bridges, Not Walls

Sometimes people ask a dying person, “Have you made your peace with God?” I know they mean well, but you and I cannot make peace with God. We don’t have to make peace with God, because Jesus already made it. We only have to accept His terms of peace. Jesus is the world’s greatest peacemaker. The Bible says, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things…by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)

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February 18, 2007

I’ll Admit My Faults and Accept God’s Cleansing

The Holy Spirit doesn’t convict us of sin to make us feel guilty. He convicts us so we’ll realize the need to be clean. There is a huge difference between conviction and condemnation. The Bible says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) According to Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” When you are dirty and sweaty it’s a reminder you need to take a shower. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so we’ll understand the need to confess our sin and experience God’s cleansing power.

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February 11, 2007

I’ll Show Mercy Because I Need Mercy!

How do you release someone who has hurt you? You forgive them. You don’t do it for their sake; you do it for your sake. You don’t forgive them because they ask you to forgive them; you do it because God has forgiven you. They may not every ask you to forgive them, but you can forgive them anyway.

How do you know when you’ve truly forgiven someone? When you can think about them and it doesn’t hurt anymore. People often say, “Forgive and forget.” But outside of brain damage or senility, you CAN’T forget—but you can still forgive. You will never forget that messy divorce but you can get rid of the pain from it by forgiving the offender.

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February 4, 2007

I’ll Cooperate with God’s Change Process

Once you decide to cooperate with God’s change process, don’t expect to see results overnight. But you CAN expect to see some long term results. The Bible says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Isn’t it refreshing to know you aren’t responsible for working on your life to bring about change? It is God who is working in you. That truth alone should set you free. God isn’t expecting you to be perfect, so don’t expect in yourself or in others.

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January 21, 2007

I’ll Be Meek Without Being Weak

Meekness is strength under control. In the same way God wants to lovingly break you and put you under His authority. He wants to make you sensitive to His leadership; ready at any time to respond to the commands of your Master. Rather than following your own will, you are following the will of God. As you consider your level of meekness, simply answer this question: Have you allowed god to break your stubborn will?

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January 14, 2007

I Believe God Can Help Me

The opposite of being poor and spirit and mourning over your spiritual poverty is an attitude of being proud and unbroken in your belief that you can do anything. It’s the attitude that says, “I don’t need God’s help or strength. I can do it myself!” Have ever tried to help a child do something, and they say, “Let ME do it!” That’s our old sin nature that rises up and says, “I don’t need any help. I can do it myself!” That attitude will get you in trouble.

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January 7, 2007

Refresh! What to Do When Life Crashes

Playing God will wear you out. There was a time when King David tried to play God and deny his sin. He later wrote, “My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.” (Psalm 32:4-5) Sometimes we try to run from pain by staying super busy. We ignore our pain by working 100 hours a week. Or we jump into some hobby or sport and it becomes a compulsion so we’ve got to be on the golf course, the tennis court, the Mahjong group, or the dominoes table. You can even get so involved in religious activities, and it becomes an outlet to hide your pain. And before long you wonder why you’re exhausted. When you play God, you feel like Atlas with the weight of the world upon your shoulders. Stop it. The last time I checked there was a “no vacancy” sign above the Trinity.

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