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This has been a blessing to focus on the Beatitudes of Jesus. They truly are the beautiful attitudes of the New Creation--what we have been planted with and what we can nurture and grow--to be Blessed to BE a Blessing!
God Bless Your week~
Nicole Collins
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Saturday February 1st,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse:
3“Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Scripture
Observation: Blessedness is holding all your
trust in God with a deep humility which reveals the lifestyle of GRACE—the
Kingdom of God.
Application: Humility is a beautiful kind of
poverty that helps you to deepen your relationship to God and Love towards
neighbor.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, may our hearts grow and transform to know the
blessedness of being humble.
May
our lives strive in humility to know deeply your love and share deeply our love
for you and our neighbor.
May
we live into the lifestyle of GRACE always trusting in you, following your
guiding light.
May
we never not be grateful for all you have given us!
You
who live and reign, forever and ever—
AMEN
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Sunday February 2nd,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse:
4“Blessed
are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Scripture
Observation: Blessed are those who can show
great compassion to their neighbor; they will be spiritually strengthened and
will know a new kind of inner beauty.
Application: When we selflessly and
intentionally bear our cross, cost of discipleship; we are being Christ to our
neighbor.
Prayer:
Gracious and Most Compassionate God, Your Son modeled the Way for us to
grow and go as your disciples. Part of
the discipline of discipleship is opening the heart to fully give. The fruit our hearts can bear toward the
neighbor are from reflecting and incorporating the Beautiful attitude of the
Beatitudes. These gifts are love,
compassion, mercy through a bended ear, through a shoulder to cry upon. May all we do Lord as your Faith-filled
servants example compassion as it is your Holy Will for us to do—
AMEN.
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Sunday February 3rd,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse:
6“Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
filled.
Scripture
Observation: What kind of righteousness are
we truly standing up for today? Can we really claim to be “righteous,” in the
face of where we are these days?
Application: Works righteousness is never the
answer—internal spiritual transformative righteousness is. When we are motivated and intentionally geared
towards change for the better… It has to
start with us first!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Your servant Martin Luther spoke to our need to
spiritually grow into being freely responsible servants of your Son—Jesus
Christ. Help to focus our efforts internally
first, as a starting point. A starting
point to enable us to be aligned to your will—to be obedient and humble in the
tasks our hearts are faithfully brought to bear. The cost of our discipleship
is centered in our willingness to grow and go to spread your Gospel! May we be
grateful servants in all we do and say as your disciples.
In
your most Precious and Holy Name we pray—
AMEN
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Tuesday February 4th,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse:
7“Blessed
are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Scripture
Observation: Mercy is the opposite from
indifference. Being merciful is opening
the heart to be considerate and understanding to others. It is not judgmental more than truly
compassionate concern.
Application: With indifference comes
intolerance and division which tears down the Gospel of Jesus. Works righteous
“bandaids” does not hear truthfully the pain of the neighbor more than glorify
the doer. The pain of the neighbor is
clouded with anger-fueled agenda and politics.
Mercy is the extension of the compassionate open, humble & Godly
heart—it requires obedience and great faith… Use it—don’t abuse it!
Prayer:
Gracious God, the plumb line you have set for our hearts is to extend
our capacity for compassion to be merciful. May our lives be strengthened by
the power of your GRACE to humble away our judgmentalism. When Jesus defeated
sin, death and the devil with the Cross—we were to know and grow. We are to know and grow that our cost of
discipleship is obedience and faithfulness to spiritually shaping our hearts to
enact compassion—love—mercy to our neighbor in Your Most Precious Name! Now and Forever—
AMEN
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Sunday February 9th,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse:
8“Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Scripture
Observation: Create in me a clean heart O
God. Having a heart intentionally focused upon the will of God through humility
and obedience.
Application: How do we strive for a clean
heart dedicated to God without resorting to judgmentalism, hierarchy and works
righteousness? It is tough but is an
ongoing process of daily remembering your Baptism—reflection, confession,
repentance and renewal. Turning the
heart towards God and surrendering it to him is living into the challenge and
commitment of a lifestyle of GRACE.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, May our hearts be made clean daily remembering the
water and the Word. Help us to be
obedient disciples anchored in prayer and led by your Holy Spirit. Teach us to reflect daily upon all that we do
and say—that it is grounded in love for your and neighbor. Humble our hearts to daily confess our
transgressions to you with a repentant heart yearning to be molded to your
will. May our lives grow in the light of
your GRACE which transforms us to truly be your hands and feet in the
world. In your most Holy and Precious
Name we pray—
AMEN
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Monday February 10th,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse:
9“Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Scripture
Observation: Blessed are those who operate
from God’s agenda for peace—devoid of the self, focused in compassion upon the
other.
Application: We are in the midst of a culture
claiming to be instigators of peace and social justice… But more often than not there is intolerance,
“political-correctness,” judgmentalism and outright hatred swept under the
language of negotiating peace. We must
transform to God’s precepts of being a people of peace. Tribalism, bi-partisanism and socialism is
not the answer to an everlasting solidarity, a shalom connecting or should I
say, reuniting God to His people.
Prayer:
Gracious and Loving God, Help our hearts to operate from your precepts
of peace and harmony in the universe.
Open our hardened and indifferent hearts to become true ambassadors of
shalom over and above our desires, agendas and judgment. May your ever-flowing font of GRACE refine us
to transform the world with the peace your Gospel champions. May we always be grateful for how your light
inspires and guides us!
AMEN
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Tuesday February 11th,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse:
10“Blessed
are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.
Scripture
Observation: Blessed are those who are being
persecuted for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even if persecution may come from the hands
of other Christians! The true Gospel shines through those who are preaching,
teaching and evangelizing self-sacrificially for God’s Will and purposes.
Application: In an era of Christians
persecuting other Christians alongside atheists and other communities hostile
to the True Gospel of Jesus… When we are
spiritually operating from an intentional, obedience to the authority and
evangelization of the Word; we can realize the righteousness of God in the
world. We can turn our cheek away from
our oppressors and allow God’s Word and Will shine—BE a bright light of
transformation, GRACE and ultimate unity.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Help us to remain vigilant for the sake of Your TRUTH
and GRACE. May our witness in this world
reflect your Kingdom and break the Oppressors yoke upon our efforts. May Your Holy Gospel delivered by our hands
and feet and voices eventually come to unite all peoples to your vision and
purpose for our being. Help to continue to strengthen the foundation of
transforming GRACE in our hearts to fight the Good fight of faith as long as we
have breath.
AMEN
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Friday February 14th,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse Scripture:
11“Blessed
are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account.”
Observation: Blessed are you when you speak
the TRUTH and say it with GRACE in the face of evil and those turned to evil. Being an intentional witness for Christ Jesus
is our vocation—calling as His disciples.
Application: We are in an era as mentioned
before, of not only secular persecution but of Christians persecuting other
Christians. In the face of this sad
reality we MUST be faithful to preach it and teach it for Jesus sake—the FULL,
authoritative Word of God. There is no
“political correctness” when it comes to God’s Word… we must stop catering to
our personal needs/ ego and preach it, teach it like it truly is! Christ Jesus Gospel is the Gospel of love with
one great imperative: love God and neighbor through your transformed,
spiritually attuned selves.
Prayer:
Loving and Most Gracious God, may we not turn our faces away from
adversity. May we always be empowered by
the GRACE you have freely given us to be accountable Servants to your Holy Will
and Word! May we lead all of our witness
to your fantastic love and Grace as bold, fearless disciples. May our hearts
realize how you empower us to fight the good fight of faith against evil. In your Most Precious Name we pray—
AMEN
A S.O.A.P. Series on the
Beatitudes By Nicole Collins
Scripture ||
Observation|| Application|| Prayer
For Today Saturday February 15th,
2014
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Today’s
Verse Scripture:
12Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Observation: Being vigilant, keeping
encouraged and knowing that God is your strength helps us to be faithful, bold
witnesses to the Gospel. The cost of
discipleship is standing firm against tyranny and oppression without fear but
empowerment.
Application: Martin Luther stood before his
accusers boldly stating: “Here, I Stand, I can do no other…” defending not only
his faith but God’s Word in the face of oppression and tyranny. We still need
to be bold, empowered witnesses against heresy, “political-correctness,” and
intellectual idolatry for the sake of the Gospel. In all that we do and say as Jesus disciples
we must not back down but be empowered joyfully in our perseverance!
Prayer:
Dear Lord of GRACE, may our hearts be emboldened to stand firm and be
vigilant witnesses, proclaimers of the Good News. Help us to fight tyranny and oppression
through peace, love and tenacity. May
our lives spiritually know deeply the joy of your Gospel and that we must do
anything and everything to preserve it for the future sake of the World!
AMEN
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