BE Attitude

 Our message this past Sunday at church (thank you Terry Goodrich) was from Matthew 5 and what is known as the Beatitudes.

However, I looked at the word differently, 

These should BE our ATTITUDE....

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,  

{Those humble in spirit, those with the attitude of Christ}

📖Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Philippians 2:3-5

 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, 

{those who grieve not only over loss, but over injustice, inhumanity}

 📖 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. . Romans 12:14-15  

📖Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:3-5

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

{those who are gentle, non confrontational}

📖 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16      

 for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

{those who seek the Bread of Life and the Living Water}

📖Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

📖 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, 

{those who treat others, not as they might deserve, but as Christ would}

📖Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ... 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone Romans 12:14 +17

for they will be shown mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, 

{those whose motives are pure, as a child, aligned with Christ's}

📖 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3-4

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

{those who choose love over enmity, compassion over criticism, stillness over strife}

📖 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

{Those who are vulnerable in their service for the Lord, regardless of personal comfort or even safety}

📖 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:19-21                

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

📖 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

📖 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.  However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:12-19

🙏I pray that Christ's commands and attitudes can BE our ATTITUDES.  That we continue to do good and serve Him❤️

A Comfy Place

 We all have them, that one spot we love to fall back into, that one chair on the porch, that certain spot on the couch, that perfect corner where we can close our eyes and be at peace, if only for a moment. 

For some of us it is a place we go daily for our quiet time, our time to recharge, to "center", to motivate for the day to come or decompress from the one we just had.

 

For some it isn't as much the place as much as it is Who we meet there.

Anywhere can be our comfy place when our intention is to spend that time with Christ.

He is our quiet time

📖 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Our recharge

📖   Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:30-31

Our center

📖 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 Proverbs 3:5-6

He is our motivation for the day ahead

📖 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;

    in the morning I lay my requests before you

    and wait expectantly Psalm 5:3

and Who we can decompress with 

📖 Evening and morning and at noon

I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice. 

He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me. Psalm 55:is-18 (NKJV)

Jesus is my comfy place....I can fall back into Him, nestle down in and feel at peace....IF I take the time to! 

📖 He will cover you with his feathers,

 and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day, 

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday. Psalm 91:4-6

🙏Lord I pray we all find You as our place of rest and peace today!❤️

I Would Rather

 There is a statement "I would rather be anywhere but here...."

"anywhere but here"....wishing we were in another circumstance. 

but sometimes the circumstances we are in can be one of learning, leaning, longevity. 

Learning patience as we wait upon the Lord

📖 Wait for the Lord;

    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

📖But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22 (ESV)

wait for direction, or we wait and be still 

📖He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 47:10

Just spending time with Him, learning all we can.

Leaning. It may be a time that we practice relying on Him, growing our faith and trust in His plan and power. 

📖  Trust in the Lord with all your heart

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Drawing from Him all we need

📖And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Leaning on His everlasting arms.

Longevity....perseverance 

📖 Not only so, but we  also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

Coming to that deep understanding that God has the whole picture, He holds our future.

📖For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

We have the perseverance to stick it out, stick with it, see it through, trusting God is with us through it...and He is at the end!

📖 So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

 📖 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

📖 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

I want to be anywhere God places me...because I know He is with me everywhere. 

📖 “I am a God who is everywhere and not in one place only. No one can hide where I cannot see them. Do you not know that I am everywhere in heaven and on earth? Jeremiah 23:23-24 (GNT)

Always 

📖Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4

🙏Lord today I pray we all are IN  the place You want us to be. That we can learn to lean on You for the duration. That You will see us through the circumstances we are in. Amen❤️

Spiritual Workout

Our society seems obsessed with "working out".

The commercials and infomercials are numerous; cardio, low impact, high impact, workout in your chair, use equipment, use bands, use the wall....and on and on it goes!

Not that being physically healthy isn't important,  it is...my doctor says so every time I go.  

But does anyone ask you about your spiritual health?  Is your spiritual condition lacking a workout regimen?

A daily practice of scripture reading, bible study and prayer (which can be a physical workout if you get to your knees daily!)

But one thing that is part of our spiritual 

workout is to wait, which seems the opposite of a "workout".

However, we can gain strength and spiritual muscle while we wait for His direction. 

It doesn't mean that we aren't serving in the meantime. But sometimes, there are seasons or times in our lives when we are called to wait.

And as I have blogged in the past, that doesn't mean an inactive state, but one where we actively wait in our spiritual journey...reading, praying, praising, listening, serving, living.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.

🎵 Strength Will Rise Chris Tomlin

📖 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

Our strength comes from the lord, so we need to be training with him every day.

📖My flesh and my heart may fail,

    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

The less we rely on Him, spend time in His word; listening, worshipping...the weaker we will become and the more susceptible to the devils attacks

📖 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Even when we may feel or even be physically weak, we can be a spiritual strongman!

📖 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

So today start a new exercise routine, before or after you have your physical workout,  get your spiritual workout in!

You can also carry your spiritual workout into the physical by listening to praise and worship music while you do your physical workout (there are several Christian workout programs on YouTube e.g. PS1493 Fitness) or listen or watch inspirational programming while you walk or peddle.

Today my prayer;

🙏Lord, help us to feel challenged,  motivated to include our spiritual workout into our daily routine. That it becomes something we can't get through our day without. I pray that we become spiritually and physically fit (Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.1 Corinthians 6:19-20) with the purpose to better serve you. Amen❤️

Here is something I created for those who like the challenge sheets (let me know if you want a printable version)

Worship Too!

 I said I would blog some more about our Kingdom Bound Experience. 

We shared on Sunday at church...so I thought maybe it was to best way to share here.

There are two links to the service that are posted on Facebook;

Kingdom Bound Experience 1

Kingdom Bound Experience 2

Here is the transcript of what I said...it doesn't have what the girls or kids shared or the music, but if you would like it to read.

July 30   Kingdom Bound Experience

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:1-2 (NIV)

 Welcome to a bit different service today.  The Theme of the day if there were one;   WORSHIP…

the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. (

worship meaning - Google Search)

Our expression of adoration for our God and His Son Jesus Christ!

As I said last week we, my 2 girls and Rachel’s children were headed to Darien Lake and Kingdom Bound Festival to worship…and worship we did! ·

· Newsboys - He Reigns clip

To worship with so many people praising God was amazing

 

Kingdom Bound is an annual Christian music festival held at Darien Lake Theme Park Resort near Buffalo, New York. The festival takes place over a span of three days and has hosted a variety of Christian speakers and artists since the late 1980s.

Kingdom Bound started out as an idea by two locals from Buffalo, New York, Fred Caserta, a booking agent and concert promoter, and Mike Caputy, a local musician.^[2]

In 1986, Caserta and Caputy presented a concert featuring Christian artists Sheila Walsh, Russ Taff, and Mylon LeFevre. Following this concert, Caserta and Caputy were approached by Kevin Ketcham, who, at the time, was the Special Events Coordinator for Darien Lake Theme Park, located halfway between Buffalo and Rochester, New York. Ketcham presented them with an idea of holding a Christian music day at the theme park, and in October 1987, the Kingdom Bound festival made its debut. Despite chilly, 39 degree atmosphere, approximately 6,000 people showed up to hear the variety of Christian artists and speakers that Caserta and Caputy had put together. The following year, in 1988, the festival was moved from October to the end of August, where it would remain for the next twelve years. (Kingdom Bound - Wikipedia)

Kingdom Bound Ministries’ mission to present the Gospel through a variety of art forms resonates with our 140-year mission at Houghton of equipping scholar servants to be champions for Christ, equipped to go into the world and fulfill the Great Commission through careers in ministry, business, the sciences and the arts. We look forward to this opportunity to join in bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through this annual performing arts festival.

Wayne D. Lewis Jr., president of Houghton University

·Clip of CAIN: The Commission

The first artists we got to see was a family group called CAIN.  If you haven’t heard of them, or don’t know their songs, we will get to know more about them on the next Spotlight Sunday!

That was a clip of their song….The Commission

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

 That is what we are to do, to go and tell others our story.

Each artist seemed talk about “their story”, thanking us for being a part of their story and letting them be a part of our stories.

They shared how some of their songs were birthed out of tragedy, sadness or trauma in their lives, and God’s working presence in those times.

We all have a story, and God is the author of our story, and the purpose of that story is to show others who He is. To live for Him…..that is our Worship to tell what God has done for us, by loving us so much He gave His only Son to die for us.

·Katy Nichole – God is In this Story clip

We also heard a full circle story….Izabella came out with a shoe box and really preached it!  I wish I had her Kingdom Bound presentation, but here is her story

· OCC

Our story begins with what God did in His love for us

Marah  - We the Kingdom – God so Loved

 Newsboys Lead singer Michael Tate said the definition of a freak is: a person who is obsessed with or unusually enthusiastic about a specified interest.  We should want to be considered Jesus Freaks

And worship with abandon, how ever the Spirit moves.

 

 We were FREAKS with Newsboys

Lydia  - Newsboys - God’s Not Dead

 

Reggie Dabbs  Silent Saturday – “Just because God seems silent doesn’t mean He isn’t there and working.” Referring to the Saturday between Good Friday and resurrection Sunday.  To the disciples it seemed all was silent, Jesus, God….BUT there was so much going on that could not be seen.

Noah-  - Turn to your neighbor and say;  ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT

One group we heard was We Are Messengers….they live out their name in the songs that proclaim gospel, and encouraged us to go and share our message.

Noah - We Are Messengers – POWER

 Hannah also chose We are Messengers – Wholehearted

 Rachel chose Katy Nichole – Hold On

 Candle clip The Light In You (we the Kingdom)

We are to go and take the light in us and spread it to the world……we are to tell them about our Jesus

Anne Wilson clip Let me tell you about my Jesus

It was more than just singing and jumping around with a crowd…worshipping was going on.  And as you could see people sitting, standing (I did the whole time) swaying, Jumping (noah most of the time!) arms raised, arms crossed.  We were all loving Jesus and singing His praises how ever the Spirit moved us…..·

I can’t help but believe that is a glimpse of Heaven and eternity.·