Get Up With God
highly caffeinated daily bible doses to help start your morning off right

I love how Jesus turns the world on its head . . .

How does he view the poor? Blessed.

The hungry? Blessed.

The mourners? The hated? The excluded? The insulted? The rejected? Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed.

What does he say about the rich? Woe.

The comfortable? Woe.

The well fed? Those who laugh now? Those who are celebrated?
Woe. Woe. Woe.

What should we do to our enemies? Love ‘em.

What if someone mistreats us? Pray for ‘em.

What if someone smacks us in the face? Turn the other cheek.

What if someone steals from us? Give ‘em more.

FOLLOW JESUS
NOT THE WORLD

It’s JESUS WEEK here on GUWG, where all week we’ll be examining the most influential sermon ever preached: the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus’ radical words of love, joy and peace amazed his audience and turned the world on its head. Last week here, we prayed through the first part of the sermon — the Beatitudes, which set out eight essential aspects of Christian character and the blessings that flow from them.

Then Jesus moved right into how we’re supposed to live in this dying, dark world. Here’s what he said:

You are the salt of the earth.
But if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again?
It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven.

(Matthew 5:13-16)

How do these words from more than 2,000 years ago apply to us today? Christians are called to be different. We should stand out from the world around us. We should always . . .

BE SALTY. Salt has two main uses: preservation and flavor. Christians are called to rub themselves into this decaying world to help keep it from going bad. If we lose our saltiness, we look and taste just like the world and we might as well be thrown out and stomped on.

BE LIGHT. Without Jesus, the world is in utter darkness. We’re called to light it up with acts of love. Never, ever be ashamed of who we are in Christ Jesus. Let his love, joy and peace shine like a beacon for all to see!

LIVE LIKE JESUS:
BE SALT + LIGHT

It’s PRAY THE BIBLE WEEK here on GUWG, where all week we’ll be praying through some of the most inspiring sections of Scripture together.

Today, we’ll pray through 141 words that literally turned the world on its head: THE BEATITUDES – from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. 

Want to be blessed? Ask the Holy Spirit to burn these words deep into your soul and to change your heart forever . . .

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

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

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

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

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you
and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(Matthew 5:3-12)