Matthew 5 has always been one of my favorite passages. Although I didn't know it was Matthew 5. Now that I am reading it again, I remebember we chose the Beatitudes to be read at our wedding. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God." I'm so glad to be participating. We just got back from church (we are trying to find the right one) and it was a difficult experience and I had really hoped to hear something inspiring today that would fill me with God's spirit so coming home and opening up the Bible and reading this is helping.
To me Matthew 5 is so powerful, one that always sticks in my mind. I imagine what it would have been like to have heard Jesus say this,and it must have been a serious awakening for those that were there. To me, I feel Jesus is saying that to truly live as God wants us to we can't settle for trying to be good and doing mostly what we're supposed to, but that we have to live it completely, to commit to righteousness. It's about not molding our ideas of what is right to fit our life but giving up our lives for what is right. It's so powerful but also sort of throwing the gauntlet down, asking if we're prepared to live this way, and it really makes me consider my own life and whether or not I have this kind of commitment in my own heart.
to me, righteousness & commitment stuck out as well. in genesis, the wickedness of man was great & it says God was sorry he made man. i wonder if he's just as sad now. but, he found favor in noah. whoa!he was blameless. righteous. he walked with God. nowadays, it seems like more people are worried about looking self righteous & so they (myself included) hide in a corner, too afraid to hurt someone's feelings, to afraid to make the hard choices that might look "self righteous." oh, to have a heart like noah. a simple heart that was aligned with God's heart. i want that.
and psalms 3 was so good! God is my shield! my glory! (love that) the one who lifts my head! i don't need to be afraid.
what stuck out about matt 5 was vs 16..letting my light shine before men, so they may glorify God! not me! God! i have been selfish. not turning my cheek. not going the 2nd mile. not giving & loving my enemies like i should. forgive me Lord. thank you for a new day! a fresh start! i'm ready to take a stand for what i know is true! to love God & people with all my heart! here's my everything, Lord!
k, that was long :) sorry. i'm just soooo excited about all of this! weeeeeeeeeeee!!
I find it easier to write to quotes from my readings, so here are my thoughts today. "I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me." This struck an amazing cord with me. Having lived through so many health complications; all I can do is praise God. Even when the battle seems to much, we all must rest, and I have found that upon awakening I find peace. He will guide us, if we allow the time for quiet, so we can hear his guidance. "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." This verse comes at an amazing time. I have been wondering how I can share my faith, in a work environment where God in any discussion is forbidden. I find comfort in knowing that allowing his grace to flow through my interactions with people, and the wearing of my cross, can open doors to conversation that I would otherwise be unable to start! Again comfort, and grace! I can't wait for everybody's responses to the 4th! Thank you to the ESV bible website for the quotes. "http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/daily.reading.bible/?date=2010-01-03"
Matthew 5:45 (For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and good...) It comes as an amazement to me how much Jesus loves those who never acknowledge them in their lifetime. He provides so much blessing, grace, and everything they need just because that's who He is. Everything good in anyone's life is because God loves them, despite if they slander His name or never turn their face to Him.
This is amazing that our love should parallel this perfectly. How good He is that He wants to love us in these ways so much, that He will never stop providing and giving us grace despite what He means to us.
i am so blown away and encouraged by your thoughts on these passages. It is such a blessing to see people coming from different experiences, all being met by the words of God in their unique places!
It just shows me that the Bible really is LIVING and ACTIVE. Never stagnant or outdated or irrelevant. Praise God.
I have written down your names and am praying for you all as we go through this together. This has already been so awesome for me. Thank you all!!!!
I've had a hard time reading the bible for a long time. I've noticed that I want to believe certain elements about God and ignore others. I was afraid that if I committed to doing daily quiet times, then I would see parts of God that I didnt like, that I didnt want to worship. That fear has not gone away, but will no longer stop me from seeking the truth. I struggle with verses abotu God sitting in the heavens and laughing, then releasing wrath on his people (psalm 2). God is showing me to trust that he is good and that he will help me to see him clearly in spite of my human interpretation of His word. I'm so blessed by your thoughts on these chapters, and I'm looking forward to growing with you guys :)
allie- I can totally relate and i appreciate your honesty on being scared of finding hard things in the bible.
The way I see those things is this: the people were really wicked, and God is a God of justice and righteousness. It would disturb me far more if God just sat back and justified the people's wickedness and never did anything about it.
All that wrath that he had to pour out on those people for their sin was eventually poured out on the very head of Jesus on the cross. The wrath that those people endured in the old testament is the very wrath we would endure (and deserve!) today if it weren't for Jesus' sacrifice for us. He took all that wrath for us.
Something helpful I heard yesterday at church: All the things in the New Testament are about Jesus. All the things in the Old Testsament are pointing to Jesus.
When I read these gnarly passages about God's wrath, it makes me so thankful for Jesus, because I realize that I would deserve the EXACT same judgement if it weren't for His Grace.
True Happiness, fills me with hope. This is exactly what I hope to find in building a relationship with God. This sense of fullfillment and contentment.
I'm catching up with the rest of the group, so I'm a day behind, but I wanted to highlight: "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)
How encouraging! What wonder to SEE God! Oh, I hope for that. For the priviledge of gazing on my maker.
Knowing that I will have never seen anything so amazing or beautiful. In spite of all the sunrises, mountain ranges, supermodels, snowfalls, imax films, tornados, Blu-ray technologies, baby faces, or waterfalls that may have taken my breath away in my entire lifetime--to SEE the face of GOD...
Wow.
(I mean, sometimes I get butterflies in my stomach when I look at my handsome husband!)
10 comments:
Matthew 5 has always been one of my favorite passages. Although I didn't know it was Matthew 5. Now that I am reading it again, I remebember we chose the Beatitudes to be read at our wedding. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God." I'm so glad to be participating. We just got back from church (we are trying to find the right one) and it was a difficult experience and I had really hoped to hear something inspiring today that would fill me with God's spirit so coming home and opening up the Bible and reading this is helping.
To me Matthew 5 is so powerful, one that always sticks in my mind. I imagine what it would have been like to have heard Jesus say this,and it must have been a serious awakening for those that were there. To me, I feel Jesus is saying that to truly live as God wants us to we can't settle for trying to be good and doing mostly what we're supposed to, but that we have to live it completely, to commit to righteousness. It's about not molding our ideas of what is right to fit our life but giving up our lives for what is right. It's so powerful but also sort of throwing the gauntlet down, asking if we're prepared to live this way, and it really makes me consider my own life and whether or not I have this kind of commitment in my own heart.
to me, righteousness & commitment stuck out as well. in genesis, the wickedness of man was great & it says God was sorry he made man. i wonder if he's just as sad now. but, he found favor in noah. whoa!he was blameless. righteous. he walked with God. nowadays, it seems like more people are worried about looking self righteous & so they (myself included) hide in a corner, too afraid to hurt someone's feelings, to afraid to make the hard choices that might look "self righteous." oh, to have a heart like noah. a simple heart that was aligned with God's heart. i want that.
and psalms 3 was so good! God is my shield! my glory! (love that) the one who lifts my head! i don't need to be afraid.
what stuck out about matt 5 was vs 16..letting my light shine before men, so they may glorify God! not me! God! i have been selfish. not turning my cheek. not going the
2nd mile. not giving & loving my enemies like i should. forgive me Lord. thank you for a new day! a fresh start! i'm ready to take a stand for what i know is true! to love God & people with all my heart! here's my everything, Lord!
k, that was long :) sorry. i'm just soooo excited about all of this! weeeeeeeeeeee!!
I find it easier to write to quotes from my readings, so here are my thoughts today.
"I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me."
This struck an amazing cord with me. Having lived through so many health complications; all I can do is praise God. Even when the battle seems to much, we all must rest, and I have found that upon awakening I find peace. He will guide us, if we allow the time for quiet, so we can hear his guidance.
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
This verse comes at an amazing time. I have been wondering how I can share my faith, in a work environment where God in any discussion is forbidden. I find comfort in knowing that allowing his grace to flow through my interactions with people, and the wearing of my cross, can open doors to conversation that I would otherwise be unable to start! Again comfort, and grace! I can't wait for everybody's responses to the 4th!
Thank you to the ESV bible website for the quotes. "http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/daily.reading.bible/?date=2010-01-03"
Matthew 5:45 (For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and good...) It comes as an amazement to me how much Jesus loves those who never acknowledge them in their lifetime. He provides so much blessing, grace, and everything they need just because that's who He is. Everything good in anyone's life is because God loves them, despite if they slander His name or never turn their face to Him.
This is amazing that our love should parallel this perfectly. How good He is that He wants to love us in these ways so much, that He will never stop providing and giving us grace despite what He means to us.
i am so blown away and encouraged by your thoughts on these passages. It is such a blessing to see people coming from different experiences, all being met by the words of God in their unique places!
It just shows me that the Bible really is LIVING and ACTIVE. Never stagnant or outdated or irrelevant. Praise God.
I have written down your names and am praying for you all as we go through this together. This has already been so awesome for me. Thank you all!!!!
I've had a hard time reading the bible for a long time. I've noticed that I want to believe certain elements about God and ignore others. I was afraid that if I committed to doing daily quiet times, then I would see parts of God that I didnt like, that I didnt want to worship. That fear has not gone away, but will no longer stop me from seeking the truth. I struggle with verses abotu God sitting in the heavens and laughing, then releasing wrath on his people (psalm 2). God is showing me to trust that he is good and that he will help me to see him clearly in spite of my human interpretation of His word. I'm so blessed by your thoughts on these chapters, and I'm looking forward to growing with you guys :)
allie- I can totally relate and i appreciate your honesty on being scared of finding hard things in the bible.
The way I see those things is this: the people were really wicked, and God is a God of justice and righteousness. It would disturb me far more if God just sat back and justified the people's wickedness and never did anything about it.
All that wrath that he had to pour out on those people for their sin was eventually poured out on the very head of Jesus on the cross. The wrath that those people endured in the old testament is the very wrath we would endure (and deserve!) today if it weren't for Jesus' sacrifice for us. He took all that wrath for us.
Something helpful I heard yesterday at church: All the things in the New Testament are about Jesus. All the things in the Old Testsament are pointing to Jesus.
When I read these gnarly passages about God's wrath, it makes me so thankful for Jesus, because I realize that I would deserve the EXACT same judgement if it weren't for His Grace.
just some thoughts!
True Happiness, fills me with hope. This is exactly what I hope to find in building a relationship with God. This sense of fullfillment and contentment.
I'm catching up with the rest of the group, so I'm a day behind, but I wanted to highlight: "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)
How encouraging! What wonder to SEE God! Oh, I hope for that. For the priviledge of gazing on my maker.
Knowing that I will have never seen anything so amazing or beautiful. In spite of all the sunrises, mountain ranges, supermodels, snowfalls, imax films, tornados, Blu-ray technologies, baby faces, or waterfalls that may have taken my breath away in my entire lifetime--to SEE the face of GOD...
Wow.
(I mean, sometimes I get butterflies in my stomach when I look at my handsome husband!)
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