Tag Archives: character

The Be Attitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) January 7, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 1-2

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:3-12
Jesus: Blessed are the spiritually poor—the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed are those who mourn—they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek and gentle—they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness—they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful—they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are those who are pure in heart—they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers—they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness—the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
And blessed are you, blessed are all of you, when people persecute you or denigrate you or despise you or tell lies about you on My account. But when this happens, rejoice. Be glad. Remember that God’s prophets have been persecuted in the past. And know that in heaven, you have a great reward.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We call the first part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew, the Beatitudes. I sometimes refer to them as the Be Attitudes, though. I think, Jesus really wants us to get past what we usually want from the definition we give this portion of the sermon. You see, the word beatitude means supreme blessedness; exalted happiness. It’s one of those “what’s in it for me” kind of words.

Sure, that’s the end result of the life of those who follow the pattern Jesus gives to those who listened to Him on the mountainside that day, but He wants to convey so much more to us if we will listen to His words. What Jesus tells us in this short sermonette gives us insight into the transformed spirit He puts within us as we let Him take charge of our life. He changes our attitude toward life and toward others so that we can truly have that supreme blessedness and exalted happiness we talk about in the beatitudes.

The secret to the happy life, Jesus tells us, is not in the outcome of these verses, but in the input. We get the blessing by changing our attitude toward life. When we demonstrate the characteristics He outlines in these verses, we begin to reap the rewards, but not before. So as we recognize we are poor in spirit, as we mourn our condition, as we walk through life with a meek and gentle spirit, then, God begins to bless us with the rewards He talks about in these verses. We inherit heaven, comfort, and the earth. We begin to experience real joy. We understand as our character changes what blessings and exalted happiness is all about.

We don’t understand happiness in this life because too often we chase the wrong things. Sometimes we buy into the world’s lie that things we see will bring us happiness so we accumulate things. It might be houses, cars, big boy (or girl) toys that glitter and shine in the sunlight. People will ooh and ahh over them. Many will express their envy over the toys you collect. But the problem with toys of whatever shape or size, however expensive or at a bargain price, they will never satisfy.

Things bring momentary happiness and last until the next model comes out. Think about how the commercial world works. Apple is a great example. I admit I bought the first model iPhone when it came out. Steve Jobs had me hooked. I loved it because of all it could do for me. But guess what, my original iPhone didn’t last long. It’s not even supported anymore. I now own an iPhone 6 plus and it’s my fourth iPhone. I’m trying to avoid getting a 6s and waiting until at least the 7 or 8 comes out. Not sure I’ll be able to make it since I do a lot of my business on my phone. The iPhone only made me happy for a little while, now every generation of iPhone frustrates me because I know a new one will be out next year and I’ll have to get it because my old one won’t be supported much longer.

That’s what happens with every material thing. It all breaks, wears out, becomes obsolete. No matter what it is. Even silver or gold or land that all the speculators tell you will never lose value, loses value. None of it really means anything in the end. You can’t take any of it with you and what you have someone will always be trying to take from you so you’ll just worry about all that stuff anyway. Your happiness from things will always be short-lived.

Maybe you think power or prestige will make you happy. Nope. Someone will always be more powerful than you. Someone will always scheme to take your place. Someone will always attack you if you are in a place of power and leadership whether you are a great leader or a poor leader. You’ll always be looking over your back. You’ll always be watching for your enemies. You’ll always expect opposition if you chase power and prestige.

But when you work with God to let Him transform your character. When you let Him change your attitude and you live those “Be Attitudes of the Beatitudes”, you’ll find the supreme blessings, the exalted happiness, the beatitudes that come with living for the Almighty Creator of the universe. You’ll understand that things are temporal, but your changed spirit because of His spirit in you is eternal. You’ll find indescribable joy that comes from living within the kingdom of heaven even as you abide on earth.

You can be the person you were created to be with transformed attitudes shaped by the one who created all things. All it takes is letting go of yourself and following in the footsteps of the One who loves you most, Jesus, the Savior of all humankind. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Build your character (2 Peter 1:1-11) December 17, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Peter 1:1-11

Set – 2 Peter 1; John 1

Go! – 2 Peter 1-3; John 1

2 Peter 1:1-11
1 Simon Peter, a servant and emissary of Jesus the Anointed One, to those who have received the same precious faith we share through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus the Anointed. 2 I wish you a full measure of grace and peace as you grow in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life and to reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of the One who called us by His glory and virtue. 4 Through these things, we have received God’s great and valuable promises, so we might escape the corruption of worldly desires and share in the divine nature.
5 To achieve this, you will need to add virtue to your faith, and then knowledge to your virtue; 6 to knowledge, add discipline; to discipline, add endurance; to endurance, add godliness; 7 to godliness, add affection for others as sisters and brothers; and to affection, at last, add love. 8 For if you possess these traits and multiply them, then you will never be ineffective or unproductive in your relationship with our Lord Jesus the Anointed; 9 but if you don’t have these qualities, then you will be nearsighted and blind, forgetting that your past sins have been washed away. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, work that much harder to confirm that God has called you and claimed you. If you do this, then you will never fall along the way; 11 and you can be sure that you will be richly welcomed into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I talked a few days ago about Paul’s words to you to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Peter gives you a formula to help you in those efforts with the words you heard today. This effort in faith requires character building. I want you to want Me as I’ve told you many times. I want you to desire to be like Me. To be one of My disciples. To be a disciple takes work, devotion, commitment. It comes about by a change of habits and lifestyle. It takes changing your very character. I help you with the process, but you also play a part in that transformation in your willingness to let Me transform you.

Peter reminds you of the process that builds character in you as your faith in Me grows. He tells you to add virtue to your faith. What is virtue? Behavior showing high moral standards. Let others see your good behavior. Then to virtue add knowledge. Know good from evil by knowing My word. Knowing My word, you will begin to know Me. Then to knowledge add discipline. You must discipline your mind and body to obey you to keep from falling to the temptations Satan puts in your path. Discipline keeps you on the narrow path of obedience that My followers trod.

After discipline, add endurance to your bag of character traits. Compared to eternity, life is very short, but each day seems long when in the middle of it. To follow Me, though, you will need endurance. The race is not for the faint of heart. Next add godliness to your portfolio of character traits. Godliness only comes by letting Me live within you and transforming your mind to Mine. Then show affection toward others. This gets rid of the selfishness that springs up inside you when you focus on the needs of others rather than your own.

Finally, to affection add love, the real key to following in My footsteps. When you truly love, the other characteristics will also mature and flow through you unhendered. Love will become the foundation of your character and you’ll demonstrate it continually in your behavior toward others and toward Me. And, as Peter tells you, you will never become ineffective or unproductive in your efforts for Me with these characteristics in your life. You will become who I made you to be and accomplish My purpose for you.

Will these changes come easily or quickly? Not necessarily. I Might have you working on some of these character traits for a lifetime, but never give up. I can change you if you’ll just listen to Me and walk the path I lay out before you. Trust Me to give you the strength you need to become the person I made you to be.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Forgive! (Colossians 3:1-16) December 7, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Colossians 3:1-16

Set – Colossians 3-4

Go! – Colossians 1-4

Colossians 3:1-16
1 So it comes down to this: since you have been raised with the Anointed One, the Liberating King, set your mind on heaven above. The Anointed is there, seated at God’s right hand. 2 Stay focused on what’s above, not on earthly things, 3 because your old life is dead and gone. Your new life is now hidden, enmeshed with the Anointed who is in God. 4 On that day when the Anointed One—who is our very life—is revealed, you will be revealed with Him in glory! 5 So kill your earthly impulses: loose sex, impure actions, unbridled sensuality, wicked thoughts, and greed (which is essentially idolatry). 6 It’s because of these that God’s wrath is coming upon the sons and daughters of disobedience, so avoid them at all costs. 7 These are the same things you once pursued, and together you spawned a life of evil. 8 But now make sure you shed such things: anger, rage, spite, slander, and abusive language. 9 And don’t go on lying to each other since you have sloughed away your old skin along with its evil practices 10 for a fresh new you, which is continually renewed in knowledge according to the image of the One who created you. 11 In this re-creation there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian and conqueror, or slave and free because the Anointed is the whole and dwells in us all.
12 Since you are all set apart by God, made holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a holy way of life: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Put up with one another. Forgive. Pardon any offenses against one another, as the Lord has pardoned you, because you should act in kind. 14 But above all these, put on love! Love is the perfect tie to bind these together. 15 Let your hearts fall under the rule of the Anointed’s peace (the peace you were called to as one body), and be thankful.
16 Let the word of the Anointed One richly inhabit your lives. With all wisdom teach, counsel, and instruct one another. Sing the psalms, compose hymns and songs inspired by the Spirit, and keep on singing—sing to God from hearts full and spilling over with thankfulness.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

It seems that every day there’s news of another shooting. Another terrorist or someone filled with anger loses control and unleashes that anger on the innocent just because they can. Lives face eternity instantly and families are changed for a lifetime. Do I expect you to really live the life Paul talks about in the face of such wickedness in the world? A life of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience? Do I expect you to forgive even those who wreck families forever because of their wonton disregard for life?

The answer is yes. Think about the conditions Paul faced. When he wrote these words he found himself chained to a Roman guard in prison. He didn’t know if he would live or die. He faced trumped up charges of treason against the state, a clear sentence of death if found guilty. After 25 years of following My directions, Paul had been beating, imprisoned, flogged, stoned, and left for dead. But I wasn’t finished with him yet. I still had work for him to do.

What does Paul do with each of his tormentors? He forgives. He tells you to live a life such that your persecutors, your enemies will marvel at your failure to seek revenge for their cruelty. As I did from the cross, Paul understood those who persecuted him didn’t know what they were doing. Satan blinded their eyes. He pulled a veil over them so they could not see the truth of My word and acted out of ignorance. Just look at the actions they took. Plotting murder to uphold their law! How could they justify breaking the law to keep the law? Their blindness caused by Satan’s schemes.

Forgiveness is not for your enemies so much as it is for you. Forgiveness is important for you to move on with your spiritual and emotional health with things go badly for you at the hands of others. They may or may not even know the trouble they’ve caused you and sometimes wouldn’t care if they did. But living a life of unforgiveness hurts you much more than it does them. It creates bitterness in your life. It causes you to think like the world instead of like Me. It keeps you from a life of love.

There’s another important reason to forgive. I told you several times as I walked with you that you would experience forgiveness from Me in the same measure you forgive others. So you need to forgive. You need to let go of vengeance and revenge. You must release your anger and hateful thoughts against your brother. You must forgive the wrongs done against you. I forgive in the same measure you forgive, so you must forgive your brothers and sisters if you want My forgiveness.

It might sound impossible, but not when you give yourself fully to Me. When you let Me control your life, I give you the strength to forgive. I let you see others the way I see them. So you can say, like Paul, Peter, Steven, James, Thomas, John, and all My saints who have gone before you, “Forgive them Father, because they don’t know what they are doing.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The vine and Christian character (John 15:1-17), August 13, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – John 15:1-17

Set – Jeremiah 13; John 15

Go! – Jeremiah 13-15; John 15

John 15:1-17
Jesus: 1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. 2 My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit; 3 already you are clean because you have heard My voice. 4 Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me.
5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is like a branch that is tossed out and shrivels up and is later gathered to be tossed into the fire to burn. 7 If you abide in Me and My voice abides in you, anything you ask will come to pass for you. 8 Your abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father.
Jesus: 9 I have loved you as the Father has loved Me. Abide in My love. 10 Follow My example in obeying the Father’s commandments and receiving His love. If you obey My commandments, you will stay in My love. 11 I want you to know the delight I experience, to find ultimate satisfaction, which is why I am telling you all of this.
12 My commandment to you is this: love others as I have loved you. 13 There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends. 14 You celebrate our friendship if you obey this command. 15 I don’t call you servants any longer; servants don’t know what the master is doing, but I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends. 16 You did not choose Me. I chose you, and I orchestrated all of this so that you would be sent out and bear great and perpetual fruit. As you do this, anything you ask the Father in My name will be done. 17 This is My command to you: love one another.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

You’re probably familiar with the metaphor I’ve used about the vine and branches. Let Me expound on it a little today. In an agrarian society where I first gave the metaphor, the people understood clearly what I shared with them. Today, the lesson may not be quite as clear since so many live in cities and your produce comes from the grocery store and you know so little about growing things.

Growing grapes for both fruit and wine was an important part of life for the people of Jesus day. Wine was a part of meals since often sources of clean cool water were scarce. They also understood what was necessary to care for vineyards. Branches that didn’t produce grapes just sucked nutrients and water from the soil needlessly and the smart caretaker cut those branches from the vines to maximize the production of grapes.

Vineyards, like any crop takes care and attention to allow them to produce in an optimum way. They will grow wild or will grow with little attention, but the grapes they produce when given little or no attention are not conducive to producing good wine. The owners of vineyards know these principles well and so take care to tend to their crops to make sure everything they can do gets done to grow the best clusters of grapes possible.

That’s just what the Father does with those who follow Me. He wants My followers to produce fruit. My word describes that fruit. My fruit comes in the form of changed hearts, changed lives, changed character. The character the Father looks for in My followers Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit include unconditional love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When My followers do not show evidence of growing these characteristics in their lives, they obviously have disconnected themselves from Me. My Father prunes them from the vine and they have no part in Me.

Are you producing fruit? Is your character changing to reflect the fruit of the Spirit? Can you take an inventory of your character and see spiritual fruit growing in your life? Do others see a change in you since you accepted Me as your Savior? If not, something is wrong. It’s time to get into My word and learn what I want from My followers. It’s time to be more than a hearer of My word and do what I ask of you. It’s time to follow My commands. I don’t want you to stay the same as when I found you. I want you to become like Me. I want to transform you and make you unlike those in the world.

The metaphor was clear to those who heard it years ago. It may need a little more clarification today, but the truth is no less real. I expect My followers to become more like Me every day. Grow in your likeness or expect the Father to cut you from our presence.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.