Another Prayer

Father,

Thank you so much for answering my prayers! Thank you for meeting with me tonight and showing me new things in your word. Thank you for caring about the little, insignificant things in my life. So Father, if you can answer my silly, little prayers, please PLEASE answer my plea for this unbelieving friend! I'm calling out to you Lord. Save him! Save his soul! Make him believe! I beg of you Father, change his heart. For your glory.

Help me to rejoice in my trials, Lord. To be glad when others persecute me for my faith. I pray that I would keep looking to the reward. Keep my eyes fixed on YOU!

I ask that you would help me not to be angry with my brothers; not to insult them; and not to ever call them a fool. Help me to rejoice in my trials.

Thank you for food--that I don't have to go hungry. Thank you for my family. For my friends. For my job. Thank you for saving me. I love you. May my love for you grow ever deeper.

Love,

Christi Joy

"Thank you for Saving me!

What can I say?

You are my everything!

A sinner called by name."

Never Boring

The Bible is an amazing book! No matter how many times I read the same passage over and over, there are always new things to discover and learn! No other book on earth is like that.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." -2 Timothy 3:16-17

I also think it's amazing how much God cares about the tiny details of our lives! Trust Him with them. He answers even the smallest prayers.

Matthew 5:1-26

Why are "those who mourn" blessed? It says, "For they shall be comforted." But wouldn't it just be better not to mourn in the first place? And what are they mourning over? Their sins? Unbelieving friends? Because a loved one died?

I'm assuming it's a good thing to mourn then? I mean, it says we'll be blessed.....so it kinda seems like it is.

We are supposed to "rejoice and be glad" when others persecute us. Really?

We're not just supposed to stand there and take the persecution. We're actually supposed to be glad that we're getting persecuted. Why? "For your reward is great in heaven." We're supposed to be looking to the reward.

"He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward." -Hebrews 11:26

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." -James 1:2-3

And later on, James also says,

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." -James 1:12

Jesus begins to make the 10 commandments harder starting in verse 21--equating anger with murder. It's not so much about your actions as it is about what's in your heart. Being angry at a brother in Christ, insulting them, or calling them a fool is such an important offense that Jesus doesn't even want to accept your gifts to Him until you've made it right with your brother. This isn't just a little sin to blow off.

Matthew 5:1-20

We are the salt of the earth.

I just ate popcorn today. I hate popcorn without salt, so I made sure I doused the popcorn with it. Why? Because without salt, popcorn is just bland.

So what is salt being compared to here? Passion?

Jesus came to fulfill the law. His teachings didn't void out the Old Testament law. Instead He focused on the heart. The attitude we need to have behind keeping the laws.

"Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." -Matt 5:19

What is the "these" referring to here? Which commandments? The ones at the beginning of the chapter that say, "Blessed are the ____"? The Old Testament laws? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself? The commandments He's about to tell the people in the next few verses?

Grace

A couple days ago God gave me the grace to ask my cousin for forgiveness for how I treated her when we were little. It was amazing! Even though our conversation (and my apology) was just through texts, God still worked through it. Her reply read:

"but wow thanks a lot! that means SO MUCH to me you have no idea! I love you too."

So thank you Lord! For everything. Continue to make me more and more attentive to your voice. Draw me closer to you. In Jesus' name! Amen!

Matthew 5:1-16

Blessed are the humble. Those who don't think of themselves as greater than others. Who serve with gladness and forgive right away. Those who aren't afraid to stand up for the truth. Who seek after God with everything they have. Who don't try to stir up trouble, but instead try to keep peaceful relations with others. Those who are made fun of for proclaiming the truth. Blessed are they.

Tasteless salt isn't good for anything. Cause what's the point of salt? To make your food taste good. What good is it if someone has Jesus in his heart but doesn't share Him? Or what if you say you're a Christian and follow Jesus but you lack passion?

We are salt. And we are light. We are made to glorify our creator. We cannot keep Jesus hidden.

"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." -Matt 5:16

What good does it do to say you're a Christian if you don't live it out? Or how does it glorify Jesus if you do good because of Him, and yet don't tell anyone?

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." -James 1:22-25

My child, I love you.

A Prayer

Father,

I want to see you! That is one of my greatest desires. Your word says that the pure in heart "shall see God." So Lord, I pray that you would make me pure in heart. Cleanse me from the evil within. Wash my sins away. Keep me wise in your truth and innocent of evil. I want to see your face!

Give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness. What exactly is righteousness? Is it your word? Father, give me hunger pains for your truth! Because I want to be satisfied! Meet with me every time in your word.

Destroy my pride Lord. I can feel it rising. God, destroy it!! Replace my pride with meekness. Make me humble. I don't ever want to think of myself as better than others. And destroy the judgmental attitude I carry with me.

Give me boldness to speak your truth. To speak it so much that I get persecuted for it. I should expect no less.

Thank you for showing me grace and mercy. For not striking me dead because of my sin. Thank you for listening to me. For understanding and caring. Thank you for your love. For dying for me. Thank you for this nice, cool breeze and your beautiful creation. I praise your name.

Love,

Christi Joy

Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus was sitting while he taught his disciples. It wasn't very formal. Jesus just saw a crowd following him so he went up on a mountainside and sat down to teach them.

These are the people who are blessed:

• poor in spirit
• those who mourn
• the meek
• those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• the merciful
• the pure in heart
• the peacemakers
• those who are persecuted for righteousness sake
• when others revile you and persecute you

These are the blessings you will receive:

• the kingdom of heaven
• comfort
• inherit the earth
• satisfaction
• receive mercy
• see God!
• called son of God

What does it mean to inherit the earth?

What does it look like to be poor in spirit?

"For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." -Matt 5:12b

If we follow Christ and He died for what He proclaimed....we should expect no less.