letsloveothers

Yes, happiness is a VERY good thing. For those of us who have a personal relationship with Jesus. Happiness has an even more magnificent meaning— blessed.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus lists the eight principles of “biblical happiness”— The Beatitudes.

• Blessed are the spiritually poor. The Kingdom of heaven is theirs. (Daddy’s Favorite)
• Blessed are those who mourn. They will be comforted. (It’s On!)
• Blessed are the meek and gentle. They will inherit the earth. (No Sand in These Eyes)
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They will be filled. (Preach It Baby)
• 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.

 Blessed are the merciful. They will be shown mercy.

Many question God’s mercy. How could a merciful God allow wars that since 3600 B.C. have resulted in an estimated 3,640,000,000 deaths? Why do 16,000 children die daily from hunger-related causes— one child every five seconds? Why is human trafficking surpassing illegal drugs as the primary source of income for criminal syndicates?

As His chosen people, believers have been given a mandate by God to be His agents of mercy here on earth. If the evils of starvation, human trafficking and wars are rampant, it’s  because of our indifference— the absence of mercy. 
Therefore, “do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”  “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good.”

“Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones. His own picked representatives who are purified and holy and well beloved by God Himself. By putting on behavior marked by tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways and patience which is tireless and long-suffering and has the power to endure whatever comes.”

The early Church turned the world upside down because it embraced who God said believers— the Church is. We the Church “are a chosen race… a royal priesthood… a holy nation… a people for His possession so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Believers who:

• refuse to embrace the culture’s definition of reality— the 
values, priorities and dreams that contradict the Word of 
God.
• refuse to worship anyone or anything other than Christ— the 
Son of the living God.
• have no illusions of grandeur because they understand that 
God’s Kingdom isn’t a democracy. He alone decides the 
whos, whats, whens and whys of His Kingdom.
• come from every walk of life and embrace this social diversity. Distinctions of rank and social class are irrelevant. “Even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one 
body, and individuals who are connected to each other.”
• gratefully acknowledge that Christ is the head of the Church.

If you are passive and don’t actively resist evil, then it will silently and stealthy interweave itself into the tapestry of your life. Offense, prejudice and hatred will replace understanding and empathy. Which leads to distrustfulness and un-forgiveness— the antithesis of mercy.

Be God’s ambassador of mercy. A force that the powers of darkness can’t extinguish because God’s river of mercy is continually flowing from you to others.

Luke 6:27-28 (The New Living Translation)