DAY 9 - New Lifestyle: "Being" , Not "Doing" (Please click here for English podcast)

Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people
3.   Open your heart to praise the Lord

             I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.     Psalm 13:6                                                   

Confession and repentance

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

The Word

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

                                                                      Matthew 5:1-12

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

My Listening
       

     With a new job, people usually have a new lifestyle. I still remember in the early 80's when I got a new job in the Hong Kong Government. I had moved on from working as a high school teacher, and I had a new lifestyle. Almost everyday I was in suit and tie with a fashionable briefcase. Going to expensive restaurants was a given. At that time, I thought that should be the new lifestyle I was going to enjoy. Later I found out that I was wrong. That is not the lifestyle Jesus wanted me to live.

    Here in today's passage, we come to the famous 'Sermon on the Mount', which runs through chapters five to seven.  Jesus describes to His disciples a different lifestyle: a counter-cultural lifestyle. It is important for us to realize that this new lifestyle is not about us trying harder. You can't do it because you can never have the willpower or strength to live like that.

     It is not the "doing" but the "being". When we repent and return to God's Kingdom we can be with Jesus, and enjoy being with Jesus daily more and more. It is this "being" with Jesus that leads us to have a change of lifestyle according to what Jesus says in the Beatitudes and later expounds in the whole Sermon on the Mount. It's not about trying to do every single thing that Jesus describes in the Beatitudes. Instead, it is through "being" with him that causes our hearts to align with his, which develops our character and actions. For those who are poor, God will turn it around and allow them to inherit God's kingdom. For those who mourn, God will turn their mourning into comforting. For those who make peace, God will give them a new identity as his children, because their hearts for peace reflect God's heart.

      There are so many Christians, including Christian leaders, who do things for Jesus but do not spend enough time being with Jesus.  A life of simply doing things for Jesus leads to burn-out and eventually quitting. A life of being with Jesus results in working with Jesus for his kingdom. I was one of those burnt-out leaders but it was only by God's grace that I got through that darkness.

     This passage and the coming chapters are all about a lifestyle of Christlikeness. It is all about how you can be with Jesus and your willingness to follow Him as your Lord and King. With that daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus, you and other people will soon find out that the Beatitude is talking about you. You become more like Jesus and people can see more of Jesus in you. 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to understand that the Beatitudes is all about the fruit of being with you and not a result of doing things for you. Lead us to be with you more that we can live out this lifestyle naturally to be more like you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

Reflect on these questions:

1. Read Matthew 5: 1-12 again now. Which parts of the "Beatitudes" do you experience right now? Do you struggle with any of them? What are those 'blessings' that you think you can never have? Why?

2. How can being with Jesus each day help you to live those 'blessings' out? 

3. How have you experienced a change of lifestyle because of your new relationship with Jesus in your willingness to be with him everyday? 

Family Corner:
1. In your family, do you spend more time doing things for your family? Or, do you spend more time doing things with your family? How has that affected your relationships?

2. When does your family spend time being with Jesus together? How could you begin practices of being with Jesus together?

Praise and Thanksgiving
Let's give thanks for God with us. Let us praise Him:

10,000 Reasons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Please click this link to the app. Andy Ng wrote. You really need to use that if you have an Android cel. Andy said he is going to do the App. for iPhone later:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideal.rec.app

You may choose to follow my other daily blog:

http://discipler123.blogspot.com/ 

http://bishopsilas2.blogspot.ca/
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/

The best way to keep you being with Jesus for these 40 days is to find two more friends coming together weekly using this blog/podcast and encouraging each others to use it daily. This is what I call "Discipler123" - One discipler having two friends being with Jesus daily for 40 days first then hopefully can continue for a period of three months.