Luke 6
20 And he lifted up his eyes
on his disciples, and said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
27 "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
37 "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
38 give, and it will be given to you.
Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
39 He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
Build Your House on the Rock
46 "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?
We are building Christmas every day.
And soon will end the Christmas season - children are spending time in conversations with family - school hasn't started. The Biblical Magi have yet to appear. We are building something new for Jesus Christ and ourselves - every day. Building on the Foundation of Jesus Christ.
Jesus has told us in the beginning of Building, we sit down to count the cost. And we will assess how we do as we go. Jesus has told us so many times we do better to travel with Jesus and not worry so very much. Our very lives will increase. If we trust God. God informs us in the Beatitudes - we will have trouble and difficulties. We don't necessarily pick the difficulties. And with Jesus, we hope we don't pick up difficulties to create hazard for our very selves and souls. Jesus is telling us - this is going to happen to us all - we can now stay in the rut or drive out. Drive out by acknowledging all of us will have some similar situations. And by being merciful beyond our merry comfort zone - we increase our lives - not looking solely at our naval.
Remember with me, Jesus sometimes just said it as it was! To cause a remembrance! Instead of always tip toeing around - Jesus could call it as He saw things. Really Jesus was and is refreshing. Are you a Teacher of Israel - we all want to be considered mature to Jesus - and He says then try a little bit more instead of going home and being comfortable. Jesus tells us to be born anew. How? Put some faith in God and move out beyond the naval. A few risks at kindness. A few more obligations. Some real joy - not being the one who finds grouse. Let the Horizon find goodness instead of the people who will - always - comment. Celestial Seasons not duck or grouse seasons.
Doing your best? Then allow yourself to know - you - very much - please God.
And in showing mercy beyond the sacrifice - you find grouse hunting isn't so appealing. When we aren't condemning - we are listening with kindness. When we are commented upon - find someone to comment kindly with in appealing to God ways.
A Child of God has a Judge. I read a Christian Biography of a man who had excelled in all things. And his wife annoyed him as he went to and from Wall Street, in his career among careers. He found a man who was peaceful and serene, among the fast falling in the heavy career hitters. And he was impressed with the zen, self reliance and calm. The man told him, he'd been a Christian for decades. He didn't need the comment - he well and good knew He pleased Father God.
This man's path from God was filled with rewards and perils. And the fruit tells us - this was His Path for this man:
And as they travelled the God Path together - the cold career calculator learned from the self reliant Christian - the calculator found his wife was his warm goodness given to him by God. When the other commenters were snide to climb his career right over him - his wife and his Christian friend correctly pointed out the truth was with God. Put down the grousing. Put down the pride. Put the comment in the right place. Fear folded up and handed to God. The comments - not needed - mercy and kindness were strength.
In truth, this man was learning Luke 6. Forgiveness. Mercy - Who has the opinion who really counts. Jesus. Giving the Celestial Mercy, then God bestows and is raising out of the day to day ewie gooie.
A daily way with Jesus - God of Love.
Finding the view from where God has given you. Being warm. Building where God has given you to find His Mercies Renew. His Blessings endure.
Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place-- the Most High, who is my refuge-- 10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.
Wide is the highway to plentiful benefits. With many a shaky turn. Eventually a leading to ennui and distrust of the repetition for reliability.
In fact, all age groups, all men and women, all rich and poor struggle with repetition every day. Our Christian Biography "Walking with Arthur" took place on the subway, each day to the same office, on the same street. For years.
Building anew. How would we build if we did not Believe God would help us? We would become repetitive Ralph. Albert Einstein said repetition is not going to yield - instead Olympians know repetition is to advance. God will go with us when we need diligence. Particularly, in diligence, we can find Bill Murray's "Groundhog Day."
In all Seasons of Building Anew -
Luke 6 - is also not dwelling upon what is in yourself. Luke 6 dwells on being a blessing to others. The view is upward and outward.
Psalm 91 - reverses the look into self past ego and says find peace within. God is here. God is dwelling in you.
Matthew 7
The View from the same Parable of Jesus across the meadow.
1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. 6 "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
God told us to have wisdom. He didn't say wallpaper the husband, the friend, the parent, the child with grousing. Jesus said He is the Way the Truth the Life. He didn't say plug up the path for someone else to find the path.
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Leave the Light on. Be someone willing to say and be diligent to pray for others. Show the path of the Light of God. If we are bearing the beauty of the Light of Christ - we will have less time to point out what others do. And the view of Life is better. And feels better to the Light bringer.
12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
By the time we are middle aged, we have seen some victorious souls provide living examples the Path to God is doable as they enter Heaven. We learn that the narrow path is Love. And were all meaning connects.
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Jesus is the Good Tree. We are His vines and that fig tree had seen better days. We are most blessed to be the people of the Merciful New Covenant. We need this grace upon grace daily with verve. Help our fruit - Father God and of those who are our narrow path. We need Jesus. Not the river rock wear of culture in our creeks.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
With the help of God Himself in His Son, Jesus:
24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
We pray Jesus when the wild winds of life howl and understanding has not happened.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Because we know the Name of God we call upon: Jesus Christ.
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Abba, Abba, Abba,
We call to bless us in Your Authority.
Heaven and earth are Your's. You are God of Love, Hope and Encouragement.
Fill us this Season and all Holy Seasons to continue in our soul with Your Holy Spirit.
Bless, Bless, Bless - we ask with Jesus - our cares to strengthen and encourage us. Renew us daily with Blessings we have the heart to see and Love. Bless, Bless, Bless those we Love. Strengthen them with Jesus. Bless all those who pray for the people You have given them. And in this prayer - with the Power of Jesus - we cover Your Good Creation.
Amen in Jesus Christ.
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