Matthew 5
The Beatitudes
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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INTENTIONAL - done by intention. INTENTION - A determination to act in a certain way. Thank you Merriam-Webster.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Are we living in an intentional way? Do we consider our thoughts, our words, or our actions to see if they line up with Kingdom living??
When you go to work (and many schools), you are representing the company, school, or organization that provides you with your paycheck or education. They often require you to wear a uniform, or follow a dress code as well as a code of conduct. They usually have manuals, procedures, handbooks, and protocols that you are responsible to follow because this will ensure that you are representing this institution appropriately.
Christians have a manual too -- it is our Bible. We have a code of conduct to follow. We are representing the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords! Let us slow down enough to do it right! "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14.
Think about what you are going to say before you let it out of your mouth. Consider the effect it will have on the recipient. If it is not an effect that Christ would approve of, keep the words to yourself. Think about what you are getting ready to do -- would you do that if Jesus was standing next to you? If not, don't do it - don't watch it - don't listen to it - don't participate in it - don't encourage others to do it either!
Remove phrases from your mind and vocabulary that don't line up with God's word.... things like "what's done in Vegas, stays in Vegas" or "when in Rome, do as the Romans do"... there's many more of these phrases that seem cute and innocent, but they pollute your thinking. Stop living on the edge -- jump in and clean up -- Kingdom living is good living! Let's work toward being more INTENTIONAL! NJ
A book I recently read called Un-Christain talked about the views of non believers toward the church and Christians. Basically we are viewed as haters. We hate homosexuals, we hate the Democratic party, we hate people from other religions. The list went on and on. One of the reasons people do not attend church is they say "the church is full of hypocrites!" Awhile ago we taught a lesson in kids church about wherever we go Jesus goes with us. As His disciples we have a huge responsibility to represent the Lord and His kingdom everywhere we go. Jean, I totally agree that we must be intentional about this. We need to look for the opportunities to impact someone with the kingdom today and everyday. Allow the fruits of the spirit to be manifested in and through us not just in church on Sunday but in the world throughout the week. As we are doing this "Dare" let's put some action to what we are doing. Today make it a point to do a random act of "kingdom kindness" to a complete stranger. There is a saying that the world at its worst needs a church at its best. Let's be that church!
ReplyDeleteSAD! I pray that I am never mistaken as a "hater!" I, intentionally, find the rejected in the crowd and reach out to them the way Jesus reached out to me!
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