Living a Blessed LifeՕրինակ

Scripture

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 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. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” Matthew 5:10

This is the final attribute listed by Jesus in these heart attitudes of the Kingdom of heaven. This attribute describes the men and women who:

• Love Him more than man’s opinion;
• Have chosen to live differently and go upstream against the currents of this world;
• Have become warriors with Him against evil and for life;
• Love not their lives unto death;
• Are making significant difference in life; and
• Have so identified with Jesus, that the world doesn’t really know what to do with them anymore.

The Promise: The Sermon began with the inheritance of possessing the Kingdom and it ends there also. These people will truly move into and enjoy deeply the blessing of Kingdom experience and Kingdom life now.

This verse should exemplify our lives. We should be so deeply and completely identified with Jesus and His righteousness that the world can’t wrap its head around us. We could often be misunderstood, betrayed, and verbally attacked (most often by followers of Jesus who thought they were just a bit too extreme); but we just keep going because ours is the Kingdom of Heaven. Ours is a reality of Jesus that most of us long for; ours is a knowledge of the mysteries of His reign and realm; ours is a Father close by and comforting; yes, ours is the kingdom of heaven.

When we speak about a culture of the Kingdom of God, we are speaking about a way of thinking, a way of believing, and a way of seeing life through God’s own priorities and views that changes everything we are and how we love. The beginning place for all of this is these eight mindsets and attitudes called by many the Beatitudes.

These few statements are Jesus’ introduction to one of the greatest of all sermons! Is this a sermon? Is this a set of teachings? Maybe. Or maybe it’s a manifesto of a heavenly, love-filled revolutionary who would lay down His life not only to pay for our sins, but also to usher in a whole new life, a whole new way, a culture shift–the Kingdom of God.

As the text continues recording Jesus’s words, He begins to define the kind of righteousness He is bringing to men and calling men to. He begins to outline what these attitudes He just spoke of might look like if lived out in our normal, every day, walking around life.

Prayer: Father, let our life exemplify this verse. Let us live righteous that the world cannot understand us. Help us to become people who live in the Kingdom of God. Transform us to be Kingdom citizens living on earth.

**This plan has been an excerpt from our book, Heaven’s Culture. I would love for you to join me in the rest of this study. You can find the whole book on our website: prepareinternational.org