Friday, January 15, 2016

RELATIONSHIPS - PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE

Dear One,
    When Jesus taught about attitudes in His famous Beatitudes speech, He was telling My children how to be blessed by Me.  (Matthew 5:3-9) He said that the poor in spirit are blessed, meaning that the people who have a need for My Holy Spirit's power instead of trusting in their own fleshly power will be blessed because they come to Me instead of trusting in themselves. 
     He said that those who mourn will be comforted.  That also speaks of the people who come to Me for My power of My Holy Spirit will also be blessed. He knew that when He left them and came back to live with Me that they would mourn but that I would send My Holy Spirit to do inside of them what I did outside of them, which was become their counselor. (John 14:12-17)
    Then He began to teach about My righteousness.  He said that the meek, the humble ones who depend upon Me, will inherit the earth, meaning that I will show them how to access My kingdom while they live in the earth. Those who are prideful are not meek.  Meekness is being humble enough to know that their own wisdom is inefficient and insufficient, but that My wisdom is always filled with solutions to every problem.
    He said that those people who are hungry and thirsty for My righteousness, being transformed into My image of righteousness, that they will be satisfied by becoming My righteousness in the earth. 
    He further said that the merciful will always obtain mercy.  Remember that mercy is an outgrowth of My Holy Spirit living inside of you if you are allowing Him to transform you into My image. Judging and condemning others will cease in your thoughts, attitudes and actions and, instead, you will become merciful to all people.
     Then Jesus went back to repeating His first example of righteous thoughts, attitudes, speaking and actions.  He said the the poor in heart will see Me, meaning that their humility, trusting in Me instead of their own flesh, will allow them to become intimately acquainted with Me, having the one-on-one relationship with Me which allows them to reflect My righteousness in their lives because they personally know Me instead of just knowing facts about Me.  Because of their righteous behavior, they will be blessed by receiving their inheritance.
     He identified the activities which identify you as My child.  He said that the peacemakers are blessed and called My children.  You have the power of My Spirit to bring peace to every circumstance and situation.  Bringing peace to every situation is the most convincing attribute of My children because Jesus is called the Prince of Peace; therefore, those who truly know Me and know Jesus will become the makers of peace in the earth. Peacemaking is a character trait of My children who truly know Me.
    He summed up His teaching when He ended the portion about attitudes.  He said that My kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.  He wasn't talking about the people who are prideful in their relationship with me, but the ones who are humble and meek are the righteous ones.  He wasn't talking about the ones who give their bodies to be burned for My sake.  He wasn't talking about the ones who have faith to love mountains for My sake. (I Corinthians 13:1-4) He wasn't talking about the ones who carry crosses across countries in My name.  He wasn't talking about the ones who drive out demons, do many miracles, prophesy is My name, take a Jesus count, seeing how many times people say Jesus in their conversations or the conversations of others, and gather around the pole in My name to be seen by others. (Matthew 7:18-27)
    He said that you are blessed when you are persecuted for righteousness sake, meaning that you are persecuted for loving the unlovable, when you extend mercy to sinners, when you forgive those who do evil to you, when you bring peace to every situation by stepping back and not insisting on your being right, when you give more to people who demand something from you, when you do good acts toward people who bring you into their conflicts, when you feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, give hospitality to strangers, clothe the naked, take care of the sick, (Matthew 25:33-42; James 1:27)
    The fruit of My righteousness is always found in My Holy Spirit's actions displayed through your life.  They are love, peace, joy, goodness, kindness, patience, mercy and faithfulness. Those actions of righteousness are what determine the behavior which qualifies you to receive your inheritance from Me.  They are what qualifies you to be blessed because you have chosen My ways instead of evil ways. This is clearly outlined in my Instruction Book and taught to you by My Holy Spirit
    It's not those people who declare their righteousness who receive My blessings.  It's those who do My will who receive My blessings.
    Your Loving Father
          
      

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