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Welcome to week six of my series on The Beatitudes.

The Sermon on the Mount teachings are a demonstration of what we should be living as Christ followers.   Jesus set the tone early on in His ministry regarding what He was about and what it meant to be His disciple and have a Kingdom mindset. These teachings are the foundation for what Jesus modeled and would be doing for the next three years of His earthly ministry, and what He longs for us His followers to do as well.

The Beatitudes are the good news of the Gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus preached for the here and now and also for the Kingdom to come.   I look forward to diving in deeper to each one of the 8 Beatitudes in the weeks to come.

 


Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7 NIV)

 

 “Where’s Jesse?” my mother asked with concern, bringing our conversation from before to a halt.

 

“Huh, what?” I said as I was looking around the room to find my six-year-old son. I glanced out into the backyard to see if he went out to play, but I didn’t see him at all.  So, I went in search of him, while my mom stayed with my daughter.

 

As I walked down the hallway, I could hear crying.  For the life of me I had no idea what could have happened to make my son cry.  One minute he was watching TV playing with his transformers and the next he was gone.  No, crying or mention that he was hurt, or his toy broke, nothing. He just silently disappeared to his room.

 

I approached his room and peeked around the corner through the doorway and sure enough there he was, sitting on his bed … crying.  What in the world had happened, I thought.  I approached the bed and sat down next to him and asked, “Jess, what’s the matter?  Why are you crying?”

He looked up at me with big tears in his eyes and said, “Mom, somebody has to do something for those little kids!”

Confused I asked, “What kids?” There weren’t any other kids around that day, and I was clueless as to what he could be talking about.

 

“Those kids with cancer mom! They need help, we have to do something. Can we do something?”

 

It was then that I realized he was talking about what had been on TV a few minutes before. An infomercial/commercial to raise support for children who had been diagnosed with cancer and needed treatment. I pulled him into a hug to comfort him.  I told him we could talk about ways we could help, but maybe right now, the best thing would be to pray for them and pray for a cure. I could feel his little head bob up and down in agreement and I began to pray while I held him.

 

After we were done, he didn’t want to leave his room, he said he wanted to talk to God about it some more and think.  So, I left my sweet tenderhearted child sitting on his bed contemplating what more he could do.

When I returned to the living room, my mom asked what was wrong with Jesse and why had left the room.  I explained what had happened, and my mom exclaimed, “Oh, he has the gift of mercy.”

 

Yes, she was right. Even to this day, my now, twenty-five-year-old son has a tender heart filled with mercy and compassion for others.  I love that about him.  He will make a great husband and father one day because of it.  But the enemy also has used his tender heart against him causing him hurt and disappointment, but it hasn’t changed his compassionate heart.

 

When I read Matthew 5:7 in regard to mercy, the image that always comes to mind, is the scene I just shared with you above.  Of my son, having so much compassion for people he didn’t even know.  However, there is much more to what Jesus was talking about here.  It is not just someone who possess the gift of mercy, but it is something that we are all to possess as well.

 

Throughout the Gospels, we often read that Jesus was moved with compassion and had mercy on people and He healed them.  When we read “He had mercy (compassion) on them” … I wonder if what it is really saying, is that it wasn’t Jesus’ plan at that exact moment to do something and heal them, but then He had mercy on the individual(s) and He healed them. (Matt. 14:14; Matt 20:34) There is something about mercy that makes the hand of God move.

 

Mercy by definition is: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.[1]

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 NIV)

 

In our world today, the shouts of those wanting justice, seem to overshadow those whose hearts are set towards mercy.

 

 

I will be honest with you, sometimes I have a difficult time showing mercy.  I am usually a very kind and compassionate person however, I have this justice meter inside of me that goes off every time there is an injustice done.  It doesn’t matter if it was done to me, I observe it, or I hear about it. I just want God to come in and set things right bringing His justice and meting out punishment and yet, these verses here make me stop and pause.

 

There were times when Jesus was upset by the injustice occurring around Him, like when He called the Pharisees a brood of vipers (Matt 12:34), or He overturned the tables in the temple courtyard (John 2:15).  However, the majority of the time Jesus was merciful and compassionate toward the sinner. He did not judge them. He didn’t overlook their sin. He spoke truth in love and extended the Fathers heart to those in need.

 

Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to show how we need to be compassionate and merciful towards others. (Luke 10:25-37) When He was hanging on the cross, looking down at the soldiers’ gamble over His clothes and those mocking Him, He ask God to have mercy on them (Luke 23:34).  Then there was Stephen, who had mercy on those who were stoning him to death (Acts 7:60)

 

 

Matthew 5:7 clearly state, that if I/we want to have mercy shown to me/us, I/we should also extend mercy to others. After all, this is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross.

 

because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13 NIV)

although you can’t expect to be shown mercy if you refuse to show mercy. But hear this: mercy always wins against judgment! Thank God! (James 2:13 The Voice)

I’ve heard it said:

 “Mercy is the ability to put yourself in another person’s situation and act with compassion.”

This is what Scriptures tells us it looks like to be merciful:

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)

 

[1] Dictionary.com

 

Welcome to the Featured Post from last weeks  #TuneInThursday

 

This week’s top Clicked Post was Ronja over at Abounding Grace: (Click the picture to head over to her site).  

 

Ronja not only has graduated college,  recently started a new job, but to top it all off, she has just started a NEW weekly  link-up on Tuesday.  If you are looking for a new Tuesday addition to the places you building community hop on over and tell her Hi, from all of us here at #TuneInThursday

 

Also, I want to let all you creative, bible journaling, or artsy type people know about Dani’s New Weekly Linkup. She goes live on Sunday’s.  If you do art of any kind, or Bible journal, head over to her place and linkup your posts it’s another great place to build community.

 

 

Have you noticed many linkups are closing?  Yep,I have too… so here is one more that is fairly new and opens on Friday.  I want to encourage everyone to go check out this one from Amy and Jessica called Live Life Well. I know we all have our regular linkups, but I think it is so important that we help each other out. Especially those that are just starting new linkups.  We as writers and bloggers need to seek building community with others.

 

Again Welcome and Thank you for joining me for #TuneInThursday it is an honor to have you here!

 

I have had a few people ask for a badge/button to display on your blogs.  I would absolutely be honored if you would display it, or link back here in some way.  Thank you!

 

Tune In Thursday

 

Now let’s get this party started, feel free to link 1-3 posts:

 


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Do you wonder if God still speaks today?  Do you wonder if He would ever speak to you personally?  Do you long to hear the voice of God in your life?

Have your read other books on hearing from God, but long for hands on practical application? or are you looking for ways to  move you forward  hearing from God?

If you answered YES to any of those questions, then I have exactly what you need.  I now have an online e-course designed to equip you in understanding that God still speaks today, and He longs to speak directly to you, through His word, and others.  He longs to encourage you, strengthen you and comfort you.  The training on this site, is fully based on Scripture, and taken from my training manual Releasing God’s heart through Hearing His Voice. 

God is speaking, Can you Hear Him?

d2htrainging.com membership site is open, I invite you to check it out today, and develop a deeper relationship with the Lord, as you learn to hear Him speak to your heart.

Looking for other Great Inspirational Parties. Click Here to see where I Link-Up weekly.

Several Submissions have been featured at Blessed Transgressions, an Online Magazine:

Balancing the Warrior & the Princess We’re Called to Be

Who we Are and Whose We Are

Trusting God When it Seems Illogical

Will You Sit with Me? (Jesus is Calling.)

My Post “Climb Every Mountain” was featured in the August monthly link-up at : Life on Intention Link-up Party

My Posts: “Will You Sit with Me?”  & New Mercies Everyday & Wait for it were featured here:

My Posts:  The Most Wonderful Time of the Year & And So Do We!  & Know Your Why were featured here:

 

Overwhelmed to Fulfilled

My Post: The Power of your Story was featured here:

My Post “What’s in a Name?” was featured here:

The Luke 2:52 Project

 

My Post: “The Journey through Change” was featured here:

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Again,  I have been know to link to the following Inspirational Parties:

 

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