Vol. 17 No. 40 | October 5, 2015
Just suppose we took Jesus seriously and did what He said.
5 “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.”
He said in verse 3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Just suppose we accepted that we are poor in spirit and admitted we are nothing without Him, that we are powerless without Him, and lived as though everything depended on Him, and not on us.
He said in verse, 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Just suppose we acknowledged that our losses, our suffering, our disappointments, and our sorrow over the lost…all the things that cause us to mourn…would be restored and we will be comforted by the Comforter, and lived fully with that knowledge.
He said in verse 5, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Just suppose we believed that and did not worry about gaining control and keeping control of the people in our circle of influence or the world around us and lived in full assurance that His power is what we need, that His strength is all we need, then lived knowing that knowing that He is now and will always provide for our needs.
He said in verse 6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Just suppose hungered more Jesus and His Word, and thirsted more to be righteous like He is righteous, then allowed Him to fill us, and stopped trying to fill those empty spaces inside us with things that will not satisfy.
He said in verse 7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Just suppose we stopped thinking about revenge and getting what we think we deserve and started showing mercy to people, then enjoyed and lived in appreciated of the mercy He has shown us and is showing us.
He said in verse 8, “Blessed are the pure in heart,for they will see God.”
Just suppose we focused on keeping our hearts pure and rejoiced as we begin to see and understand God more clearly.
He said in verse 9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Just suppose we became peacemakers, not just peace lovers, and began tearing down walls and building bridges to such an extent that we are recognized as children of God.
He said in verse 10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Just suppose Just suppose when someone treats us poorly because of our relationship to Jesus loved and blessed our persecutors and enjoyed the fact that we are doing kingdom work.
Just suppose we allow the mind and nature of Jesus Christ to invade our mind and our nature. We do not have to wonder what would happen, He tells us, we become salt and light.
He said in verse 13, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
He said in verse 14, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Just suppose this really happened.
I think that is Jesus had in mind when He said,
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one,
for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2015. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.